No one “herds the cats better “ than Pelosi ?
Really guys- that’s your comment ? Pelosi has been playing clean up batter for ages now; she deserves your respect articulated in kind.
It is glaringly obvious that Trump/Pence, and to a (mildly) lesser extent, McConnell and Ryan, have no interest in “restoring some sanity to American politics and a sense of higher, common purpose to American governance.” Trump’s civility at his press conference lasted about half a minute while he was nonetheless lying continually. So payback is tempting and well-deserved. Still, I suppose that the Democrats are obligated to at least try to take the Michelle Obama “high road” at least initially. But they shouldn’t repeat Barack Obama’s first-term mistaken hope for bipartisanship.
7
For the last two years President Trump has been able to effectively define the terms of the national dialogue.
With the Democrats now taking control of the House, however, the dynamics of power have changed. The Democrats now have the means, through the judicious use of the oversight power, to change the terms of the national discourse, putting the Trump Administration on the defensive by forcing Trump and his Administration to provide a full accounting for policies and decisions that heretofore have not been fully disclosed publicly.
With oversight hearings the Democrats also have the power to carefully craft a positive message to the American people, defining the policies they plan to implement, if given the power to do so by the electorate.
1
The Dems should do people's work for a change. If they try to dole out genuine government without any stunts like Warren's 2020 possible run or DNA test, or her war on Banks and Bernie's Amazon, people may feel more positive. Trading negativity with Trump is foolish. Mrs Obama is right, aim high. As the saying goes, don't try to wrestle with swines (with sincere apology to the real pigs)
3
It took Trump fewer than eight hours to demonstrate the naivete of this editorial. He was never going to work with Democrats, nor give Mueller time to reach his conclusions, nor be chastened into respecting the voters' verdict on his first two years. The Democrats should not "judiciously" sit by "picking their battles" while Trump completes his purge of the justice department.
1
First of all, if for instance Barack Obama would have been Minority Leader and would just have led the Democrats to victory in the House, would the "what now?" question have skipped a moment of celebration and praise for having accomplished such a great achievement, in the editorial of a liberal newspaper, as the NYT is doing here?
I suspect that they wouldn't.
Many foreign newspapers are showing pictures of Pelosi, telling the world that she has been the one who has been able to deliver Trump's first resounding defeat, and that from now on Trump will have a very powerful and competent, strong opponent.
Even Trump himself clearly feels the heat, calling her all of a sudden a "great leader" (something he always does when he wants something from someone who isn't obliged to takes his wishes into account at all, and may truly hurt him if not), and immediately firing Sessions so that he can run away from Pelosi's thorough investigations as fast and far as possible.
So come on NYT, know how to celebrate a victory and applaud Pelosi's wonderful achievement, rather than limiting your editorial to tedious to-do lists and images of drowning Democrats ... !!!
Because as you know, TRUTH MATTERS!!
1
Dems can not afford to let sclerotic Nancy Pelosi and her aged cronies stay another day. The Dems urgently need young, smart, energetic leaders. —from the middle of the country, not the wealthiest precincts of San Francisco and Manhattan.
1
@MmmmmmmHmmmmm
Except that it's Pelosi who just won this gigantic battle for the Democrats.
NO competent CEO would ever even START thinking about firing a leader who checks off all the boxes and just managed to deliver the very first defeat to your main opponent.
Calls for Pelosi to step down even though today there were still three more red states adopting her Medicaid expansion, just because of her age, are totally absurd.
One of the reasons why Democrats have a majority of the American people behind their campaign platforms but don't control all levels of the government yet is because part of its own voters don't have any idea about how to reward highly successful and delivering politicians in the first place.
Do you think GOP voters care about "young, smart, energetic leaders"? They don't. They even accept no wall, no repeal and replace Obamacare, no new NAFTA, no new Iran deal, basically nothing that was on their checklist, and a totally crazy and incompetent leader.
And now somehow having extremely competent leaders wouldn't be enough before "we the people" accept to vote for the campaign platform that exists already and that we want and need, we only want to do so if we have celebrities as candidates, who can give us the impression that we're in a movie rather than fighting for real American lives ... ?
And they can't even come from the places where most Americans and as a consequence most Democrats live ... ?
Imho, that's NOT a "winning strategy" ... ;-)
1
Such a good article but you just had to ruin it with 'Given the dismal example set so far by President Trump....' It's comments like that that makes all the rest impossible. Not helpful (not that you care.)
now what for democrats? how about we stop being republicans?
Dems would do well to study the reasons why the spectre of uncontrolled immigration resonates with such a huge swath of the electorate and Spurs the growth of right-wing political parties. This is true not just in the US, but other democracies, such as Britain and Germany, as well. While Republican demonizing of immigrants is reprehensibly racist, Dems need to develop acceptable immigration policies that address these voters’ fears.
2
@MmmmmmmHmmmmmDe
FYI: those bills exist for more than a decade already. They're called "bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform" bills, and would already have been the law of the land (including seriously increased and science-based southern border security) IF time and again a handful of Republicans wouldn't have blocked them.
Or if "we the people" would have given the GOP the legal power to block them, more precisely ... .
One of the reasons why Democrats are underrepresented in DC, compared to their real electorate, is unfortunately because part of that electorate seems to believe that it's not your job as a citizens to actively inform yourself and then go voting ... .
By the way, in the meanwhile there are already 20 million climate change refugees in the world. That's a bit more than a 3,000 "caravan". And the regions less hit by climate change happen to be in the northern hemisphere. THAT is where the biggest immigration threats are coming from today. And guess WHO already started to tackle that problem worldwide? Right, the Democrats, and they alone. The GOP now even withdrew from the Paris Accord. So OF COURSE they don't care about immigrants at all, they're all talk no action. As any populist political party out there.
3
These are sensible priorities. Contrary to Trump's rhetoric, most Democrats are sane and sensible people. I hope the House and Senate leadership will find a path that puts Trump out of the White House in 2020.
It's easy to call for impeachment, but absent a clear record of corruption that can be proven and that cannot be ignored by Senate Republicans, it's far better to focus on moderation and 2020.
Oh. Thanks for the advice. Be nice. Let the Republicans overreach and obstruct, but Democrats should be careful and don't overreach, since it looks bad.
Just think Demos will have to adopt some of the Repubs tactics. What do they want?
It's late in the publication cycle now and this editorial is slipping off the pages. But the latest news that Trump has forced Jeff Sessions to resign, and has appointed a cult foll..., I mean, loyalist, in Sessions' role, makes me ask:
Editors, do you still think that impeachment should not be a priority for Democrats? Would it surprise anyone if Trump moves to fire Rosenstein, and Mueller himself? Should Democrats just ignore it and keep on trying to be nice???
25
There are a number of democrats in Congress who are beholding to the President, or will be reminded How nasty things may get for them come favorite projects they are interested in seeing passed! Or their chances in the next election....
2
Comprehensive gun control legislation can be Thing One. Put the spotlight squarely on McConnell and his NRA-bought cronies.
3
The challenge to NP and the Democratic Leadership is how to put together a new Democratic Coalition that can appeal across the Country.
1. Good Government
2. Economic growth and a more equal distribution of its fruits
3. Equality before the law
4. A solution to the immigrant and immigration crisis
This demands moving away from identity politics and back to a class agenda.
2
@wjth
With all respect, I couldn't disagree more.
Poll after poll shows that on most issues, a vast majority of the American people and even a majority of GOP voters actually agree with the Democrats' policies - BOTH on economic issues and civil rights issues (= what the GOP prefers to call "identity politics").
Contrary to what is normally the case, however, they will NEVER be able to win GOP voters over, because the GOP, together with Fox News, have created a fake news propaganda machine that makes it totally impossible for GOP voters to see what's really happening in America and who's doing what in DC.
Fortunately, a majority of Americans still refuses to watch Fox News, so knows that it's the Democrats who defend the interests of the American people and the GOP that became utterly corrupt.
So contrary to all previous elections, what will be crucial now is to get the vote out, in 2020.
And that will only happen if more ordinary citizens get access to information explaining how a democracy works, why voting is crucial, and how radical change is only obtained, in a democracy, through step by step improvement election after election.
Until now, elections were decided by which voter wants which kind of policies, knowing that each party more or less honestly told them what kind of policies they were standing for.
Today, there's absolutely no similarity between what the GOP says it stands for, and what it does in DC. THAT is what we have to deal with now.
3
How about concentrating upon tax legislation that would reverse the overweighted, unnecessary reductions provided to the Republican corporate and uberwealthy donor interests, including the estate tax giveaway and the continuation of the “carried interest” loophole, while in their stead giving meaningful tax reductions to the middle and working class taxpayers? If Republicans and Trump oppose this correction, which is certainly expected, then subpoena the Fake President’s tax returns to show the public how he has prospered under their tax legislation.
2
If the Democrats make DACA an issue, it will blow up in their faces — again. We have a wealth of significant problems to focus on — the deficit, the opioid crisis, health care, climate change, sustaining our currently good economy. The Democrats need to focus on Americans for a change, and not illegal aliens.
2
@MyjobisinIndianow
More than 80% of the American people support the bipartisan Dream Act bill, that is around for more than a decade now and that a handful of Republicans systematically block.
That is inflicting inhumane cruelty on 2 million young Americans who never did anything wrong and are in all regards perfectly similar to any other young American.
There is no reason why helping those people should NOT be part of our priorities.
Democrats have a lot of women in DC, and women are VERY good at multitasking, remember? ... ;-)
1
Now I'm thinking this editorial looks really foolish. Really?Dreamers first? We're going to be in constitutional crisis, and there are way more important things to prepare for than 800,000 kids hanging out among the other 11M illegal immigrants.
4
Please Dems, don't pander to the Right for fear of 'gridlock.' The Right is CRAZY. Caravans? Muslim Terrorists? Kavanaugh Backlash? If caving to that brand of thinking brings gridlock, gridlock away. Dems must take this line from the Right's playbook: "Power unused is power unhad." Be surgical, but go for the jugular. That is the language they understand. The only language.
3
I mostly agree with this editorial.
I would be a little less eager to find common cause with Trump on legislation. The direct danger Trump poses to the Constitution, like claiming he can change it with an executive order is far more important than bipartisan legislation or even driving a wedge between him and Republicans. Trump is not on our side.
I would be more eager to investigate Trump. I agree that concentrating on his money to prostitutes is not smart, but that also includes money laundering, and much can be learned about what I suspect is Trump's long history of money laundering. Luxury apartments in Manhattan are a natural magnet for illegal cash.
The damage done to Democrats by investigating Trump will not be as bad as the damage done to Trump if evidence of crimes keeps getting referred to prosecutors.
Republicans spent eight years keeping Democrats from doing anything. They were not punished at the voting booth. Assuming that you have to give Republicans victories is ridiculous.
And if Republicans keep attacking Pelosi, she must be doing something right.
Chuck Schumer is the one that keeps handing wins to Republicans without a fight. His unwillingness to confront Trump's fitness to appoint a Supreme Court Justice head-on (or protect Obama's seat) while relying on the Me Too movement to stop it was pathetic. And he gave them a budget that blew up Obama's sequester, and is fasttracking Trump's judges. Schumer loses on purpose.
Centrists lose.
Go left to win.
"This gives Democrats the chance to press President Trump about whether he is interested in making progress on his stated goals or is a hypocrite intent on waging partisan trench warfare for the remainder of his term." My money is on the second one. That's his wheelhouse.
1
After two years spent siccing the dogs, good luck now trying to hold them back once off leash. But after seeing pictures of New York professional dog walkers with their huge packs on long leashes, it might be possible and doesn't hurt to try. Add a few of them to the Editorial Board for useful guidance and advice.
1
OK, NYT Editorial Board, thank you.
And don't worry, we'll be fine.
We're not going to wilt or cave. We're going to legislate responsibly according to our core beliefs.
Yes, that will result in making Trump's life miserable. But that's just a glitch, not a function.
3
If the House keeps passing bills that help the lives of the bottom 95%, which includes a heck of a lot of people who voted for Trump and Trump-like candidates, the Republican Senate can pass them or make it clear which party is on the side of people who struggle to make ends meet.
Bring down student debt.
Make health care more affordable.
Increase the minimum wage.
Devote more resources to fighting the opioid epidemic.
Improve the quality of education and make it affordable in the short and the long term.
Increase the earned income tax credit.
Increase taxes on capital gains and the top 5% to fund the spending required to narrow the income gap.
3
With a straight face, McConnell claims that democrats should be cautious about "presidential harassment." Well, Democrats, you better jump on this farce and quickly own it.
If oversight and accountability equate to "presidential harassment" then let's start the harassment!
1
@Aleutian Low: Yes, "presidential harassment" was all the Clinton impeachment was, now. I wonder how McConnell characterizes refusing to give a Supreme Court nominee a hearing.
"These are popular causes with bipartisan appeal."
Based on what? The Republican party has shown no interest in infrastructure spending, political reforms or reducing cost of healthcare. None. This is demonstrated fact.
The Times is engaged in wishful thinking rather than reporting based on evidence.
Democrats: Don't blow this. You've got your national identity Healthcare! Pre-existing conditions and drug costs! Don't be distracted. Second on the agenda is infrastructure. Hold your nose and let the president take a bow. Go after small fish corruption first, don't take the bait and let Big Fish turn corruption debates into a popularity contest. Trust Pelosi's smarts and toughness in this period. She just wants to be effective, and she knows how to be. Let this experienced, results-oriented leader do her thing. It's weak and self-destructive to scapegoat her. If you want to mend bridges, try reaching across the divide in your own party, and develop the talent of some of those smart, young, energetic idealists.
I am so grateful to all the people young and old, men and women who have worked smartly and tirelessly to bring about these many Democratic victories. I am grateful to all who voted, marched, organized, and answered the call to true public service. I am grateful to those members of the media who worked diligently to speak the truth despite vilification and threats. There are no doubt tumultuous days ahead but at least we know that there is a robust alternative to the Party of Trump, which has replaced what used to be the Republican Party.
3
You see, dear NYT?
Trump loses control over the House, keeps the Senate as expected (most toss up races were in red states), and loses the Governor races, and yet there he is, declaring victory.
The Democrats win the House (notwithstanding gerrymandering, massive voter suppression and tons of fake news), win the Governor's races, and maintain the power to block any major bill they want in the Senate, and WHAT is the image that the liberal NYT uses to celebrate this victory?
Once again, and image that not only makes your head spin because of its unstoppable moving, but more importantly, an image that instead suggest the movement of losing ground/water.
One of the reasons why GOP fake news works so well is because Fox News constantly amplifies it.
One of the reason why many voters who agree with the Democrats' platform stay home is because time and again, the liberal media are convinced that they have to remain "critical", and focus on the negative things rather than celebrating victories.
Fox News and the GOP's fake news have totally changed the media landscape, with horrible consequences for the democratic character of this country's elections. You cannot just sit back and stick to fact-checking if you care about democracy, as media. You have to fight back, by telling the truth, INCLUDING the truth about victories!!
2
Stop normalizing Trump!
He's president but in his press conference he was angry and combative and abused and insulted 3 reporters - Jim Acosta, Yamiche Alcindor and April Ryan.
Despite what Nancy Pelosi said today, this isn't about "getting something done." Many new representatives were elected by a population that's shocked and angered by Trump abusing people and breaking democratic norms - and refusing accountability for anything.
If we want our democracy to survive, we can't just be worried about "getting something done on infrastructure." Trump must be confronted on all the ways he is breaking the law, busting Constitutional norms and conducting foreign policy in almost complete secrecy, based on his whims.
If Pelosi and the other Democrats in the House are going to bury in and try to "cooperate" with this monstrous, lawless president, they will have failed the people who elected them,
who want Trump's criminality to come to an end.
That's the takeaway from the election.
The President is a criminal and is breaking our democracy.
Trying to "work with Trump" is a fool's game. The Democrats shouldn't play it. Pelosi and Schumer need to be reminded of when Trump pretended to negotiate "immigration" with them
2 years ago - then reneged on what he agreed to.
Trump then spent the next year demonizing and threatening undocumented people throughout the country - and outside our country in a horrifying display of hatred and race-baiting.
Won't get fooled again.
3
I would be so wonderful if congress could persuade Mr. Trump to stop the tariffs and the trade wars. Is there any way to pressure the president to make economic peace with Asian countries? Many of us in the United States are in a bad way financially because of the trade war with China and the instability of emerging markets.
This is required reading for Democratic members of the incoming House of Representatives. Given the humiliation they suffered at the hands of their Republican colleagues in the House controlled by them during the past two years, they may be tempted to retaliate against them. They should know that such payback will only take their time and energy away from the important work they are elected to do.
The most important work before them is the investigation of President Trump’s personal finances. He has been refusing to disclose them on the plea that they are being audited. The new chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee must request a copy of his tax returns even if it leads to legal wrangling.
The editorial is right to warn that “Impeachment is neither a sensible nor a winning issue to open with.” But it’s President Trump, not Democrats, who has been obsessed with impeachment. Hardly a day goes by when he doesn’t say that there was no collusion between his campaign and Russia. If that's the case, why can’t he wait until special counsel Mueller completes his investigation into the alleged collusion?
While Democrats in the newly elected House should not be overly anxious to remove the president from office through impeachment, they should not shy away from it simply because the process toward it is going to be “painful and divisive.” As the editorial rightly puts it, “this is ultimately not about scoring points — Americans deserve better from their government.”
1
@M. P. Prabhakaran
You're still fixated on the tax returns!??
That was 2016's news. Before the Presidential election Trump said he wouldn't release the tax returns, he didn't release them, and he got elected. It's time to move on.
There is a country to be governed. The parties should get on with it and let bygones be bygones.
Let’s examine the problems in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador to determine why such large percentages of their populations have been coming here, and see if the aid money we have been giving them has been addressing these problems. From what I’ve read, these countries are overpopulated and undereducated.
A dry corridor cuts across wide swaths of these countries . This dry corridor has become even drier than normal so many subsistence farmers are having trouble raising enough to eat.
Most have had only a few years of schooling. Their countries have trouble attracting modern jobs.
Depending on what a fact finding mission would find, we could consider providing these countries food aid until they become more self sufficient. We could send in agricultural experts to introduce less water intensive crops, help them design better reservoirs, and otherwise help them farm more productively.
We could send them nurses to explain family planning, and educators to address their low levels of education.
Several American philanthropies have been donating large sums to organize the undocumented to demand a path to U.S. citizenship. They could, instead, help the undocumented return to their own countries to make demands of their own governments.
The philanthropies could also set up Grameen-style banking and make mini loans to people to start or expand businesses.
We should help people in their own countries rather than trying to absorb them in ours.
2
@ann. Population of Central America in 1950 ~ 40 million. Population 2018 ~ 180 million. The left likes to blame central Americas problems on u.s. intervention, but clearly there are other more important factors. There is no amount of aid or any economic system that will ever be able to support these kinds of numbers. Help for Central America starts with family planning/birth control.
1
Today, I read in the Times that we have full employment in the United States and we have yet more jobs available but not enough who can fill them. We should welcome immigrants that can fill those available jobs. That would make our economy even stronger. Also, diversity in our communities and our work places adds to our strength as a prosperous nation.
1
@Thelma McCoy. More immigrants = lower pay. It's called supply and demand.
"...Restoring some sanity to American politics."
What about Democrats and critics using more humor?
Call it more-U-more.
===============
Trump is constantly poking fun at Democrats, but Democrats, all to often, ignore the attacks.Why don't they hit back with humor?
If the Democrat tease Trump and Republicans, too much, they might apologize and walk it back.
I say, TEASE to EASE.
--------------------------
Health care, with protection for preexisting conditions and subsidies to help people pay for insurance. Drug prices. Raising the minimum wage. Student loan assistance. All of these are winning policies.
Stop the endless push for support for illegal immigration. No more spectacles like the Supreme Court hearing. Those two things are undoubtedly among the top five reasons Democrats lost in the Senate.
2
The Democrats, of which I am one will blow it if they continue to exclude whites and especially white males in their rhetoric.
Diversity should be inclusive, not exclusive.
Also, Democratic politicians should address conservative fears, stressing borders that are secure (and humanely managed), national security, and prosperity. These are generally shared values, but the Democrats give the opposite impression.
2
Advice to Democrats: 1) Replace Pelosi, Hoyer & Co. They will only lead you into the negotiating weeds with the Republicans, who will chop you up piece by piece. 2) Forget about impeachment it is absolutely the wrong battle for now; wait for Mueller's report and let the public reaction point the way. 3) Don't wait for Trump to come up with anything, such as infrastructure; it will be a lie and a diversion. Pass progressive legislation now!! The numbers show that on any given issue the people really want progressive action on specific issues, even those who don't like Democrats. Pass every progressive bill you ever dreamed of, starting with health care, then infrastructure, financial reform, etc. 4) Do it all openly and above all loudly, making absolutely certain that every American knows exactly what's in it, especially for them. 5) Don't worry what Trump and the Republicans will charge. Oh, sure, invite them to join you and when they refuse, which they will, pass it anyway and defy them to reject it, which they will. So what. You will have a solid base of real reform legislation to run on in 2020, and someone to blame for not letting it happen. 4) Make absolutely certain that every American knows exactly what's in it, especially for them. 5) Most important, pass legislation that all Americans, regardless of ethnic, religious, gender or whatever identity can see affects them as working people, as parents, as consumers, as patients.
4
Hope (and healthcare) won in the House, while fear prevailed in the Senate, notably where President Trump showed up (Indiana, Missouri and North Dakota) to campaign. But the heartwarming news came from the Governor’s races where the Midwest (Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin) turned blue again.
The new Democratic-led House should focus on legislation with a 2020 vision in mind. So, its I-word of import should be immigration and not impeachment. Having said that, Speaker Pelosi (I presume) should immediately introduce and pass legislation to ensure that the Mueller investigation is safe from presidential interference. Three red states (Idaho, Nebraska and Utah) passed Medicaid expansion initiatives – Democrats must capitalize on that fact, along with the nationwide preference for preexisting conditions protections, to resurrect and strengthen the Affordable Care Act.
Irrespective of how Trump spins the midterm election results, Democrats must seize this opportunity and let their actions speak louder than their words. Most importantly, they must not forget that women made their victory possible, so those actions should reflect this.
2
'The American people have a right to know if their President is a crook....'
- Richard M. Nixon
3
So, now let us begin, truly, to get climate issues on a fresh agenda for change--with the Democratic Party staking out the political will to do so as their first priority.
If any real impact on the dire need for articulating the issues and promotion of solutions to global warming is to be had, it's no doubt the Democratically-led U.S. House could be crucial in taking up this unprecedented effort.
What an incredible opportunity is presented here: investigating and emphasizing the work of the EPA, working with each state in legislating job-creating renewable energy sources, support for new technologies and innovative solutions to switching away from carbon-based American lifestyle to that of wind, solar, bio-fuels, and so forth.
One of the features of this midterm election that I found to be so incredibly disheartening was the apparent complete absence of dialogue on the part of Americans and political figures alike about global warming or climate change, renewable energy sources, threatened and dying ecosystems, and the like.
This is the vital issue that Democrats have now been given a mandate to place front and center on the American political stage. There are no more excuses for delays.
1
I like Pelosi, and I tend towards being a progressive.
But I hate to say this, but the party should not consider these things when it looks to the future.
First off, regarding Pelosi. This election did one thing and it did it well. It took the party out of the city and into the suburbs. Areas that had once been Republican strongholds.
I don't know if this is because people who are Democrats are now moving out of the city, or because the people in the suburbs no longer like Republican policy. If it is the second cause, Nancy Pelosi, like Hillary Clinton before her, no matter how much skill she has, has been a massive Republican bête noire. Since this is a group we want to have continuing to vote Democrat, some thought as to not alienating them should be given. Pelosi should consider passing the torch to another strong, younger woman.
Secondly, as much as it pains me, this election did not see a resounding victory for Bernie Sanders style progressivism. That doesn't mean that the Hillary Clinton, let's offshore American jobs, All special interests are good special interests, and let's sell the nation's future to wall street brand of Democrat is still a good idea. But centrism, especially given the new suburban makeup of the party, is probably a good idea.
The Editorial Board says, "Investigations should be strategic and methodical and clearly in the public interest .... most Americans could easily be turned off by overt political games."
Question for the Editorial Board - why is it that Republicans could spend the the entire Obama administration, and the Clinton administration, investigating everything and everyone, and never cause a similar revolt among the public?
The reason? Republicans are a lot better than Democrats at playing dirty politics and lying. Yeah - an investigation that is not spun well, consistently, and constantly, will not be successful. Unfortunately, the Democrats do not play dirty well. The Editorial Board says Democrats should push health care? Excuse me, but remember how just six years ago, the Republicans managed to use the Affordable Care Act to take over Congress?
So, Republicans lie, cheat, and steal elections (and Supreme Court seats), and the rejoinder is, "We will win if we govern well." WRONG! It hasn't worked, and it won't work. All of this good governance stuff got us a Supreme Court that is poised to turn the country inside out. So, some of us Democrats yearn for a Democratic leadership that knows how to duplicate the Republican governance model. We're done with being the good guys.
3
Protect the Dreamers, yes. But don’t give away the store doing it. The Republicans publicly and repeatedly opposed everything that Obama or the Democrats proposed during his administration. I don’t think the Republicans have reformed in any way. If anything the Republicans are expressing more devotion to our narcissistic-child president. We worked hard to get Democrats in the House. We require strength from them. Strength to protect health care, social security and Medicare. Strength to keep the investigation of Trump’s Russian ties and money-laundering clearly before the American people. Strength to put the majority interests into legislation - even if voted down by the Senate and Trump. Put it in the record, put it in the American consciousness. It will be the Republicans who will be constructing the log jams. Let’s be very clear about that. Strength to take investigations of Trump into impeachment proceedings - knowing that he won’t be impeached by the Senate, but will be greatly weakened and defamed in the American mind. Record for history the illegality, treason, meanness, racism, misogyny, immaturity and lack of intelligence in this president.
"The Democrats won. Now what?"
The Democrats did what they had to do. Sadly the lies, hate and fear of Mr. Trump were once again deplorably effective with his unhinged and untethered cult whose focus is on keeping at all costs their unmerited white entitlements. Sadly for Trump, the Democrats will hit the ground running. The governing part will not be as hard is it otherwise would have been. The inept pro-rich obstructing-justice immoral-opportunist Trump Republicans have left so much undone on the table. Investigations and other such things should be conducted with the quiet professionalism and public service ideals of Mr. Mueller. Among the first things Democrats should do are:
* Reverse ACA sabotage, and expand it.
* Pass infrastructure program, with great infrastructure jobs.
* Send bipartisan immigration bill to Trump.
* Protect Social Security and Medicare.
* Control prescription drug costs.
* Protect Mueller.
* Demand the Trump tax returns.
* Commence corruption investigations into cabinet secretaries.
* Properly investigate Kavanaugh rape accusations.
* Undo tax-cut-for-the-rich.
* Hold hearings into voting rights violations in GA, elsewhere.
* Protect our democratic elections, including voting rights and foreign interference.
* Address the opioid crisis like the national emergency that it is.
In all things, truth, love, and courage will be the antidote for Trump's lies, hate, and fear.
1
Listening to Pelosi today, I agree 100% with her goals and agenda. None of it related to removing DJT.
Are we going to remove DJT? Probably. I think he'll be impeached and removed, for a US first.
We're living in horrible times. We have to make the future better than this. We can start by making sure we never allow another oligarch into power, and that begins with the removal of the one in power now.
I completely disagree. We are now in an age not only of profound division but also of anything goes throw-out-the-rules dirty politics - lying, gerrymandering, vote suppressing warfare. The Republicans particularly under Trump excel at this (McConnell brought this to where Trump's amorality and automatic mendacity could be better utilized). The Democrats need to follow suit. We learned from McConnell under Obama that there is no compromise or reaching across the lines. No compromise!
1
@Jonathan
You are putting yourself just where Trump wants you.
I often agree with much of what you say, but when I reread your line "most Americans could easily be turned off by overt political games" I had to stop. I just listened to as much as I could of Trump's news conference. I have never in all my years of listening to presidential press conferences heard anything like this. Is trying to curtail the assault on our democracy, a political game? This man came across as a mafia don, straight out of the movies, and just as threatening. In a response to a member of the press, he kept going on about how "embracing" him had led to some "great" victories and how those who didn't "embrace" him had gone down in defeat. The angry way he responded to the press, yelled at people to sit down and be quiet, and the old grievances about the media, were nothing more than the same tirade we've heard over and over again. The exaggerations. The lies. How many years does it take to audit taxes? I thought it was a few months. What is this man hiding? I agree about the need to choose one's battles. As a parent of four, I have lived by this motto. However, this is not about my personal home life. This is our country. Although impeachment is not an option, I say complete the investigations that are before us. Present the findings to the American people. If the president has to step down, resign, for the good of our country, so be it.
I vehemently disagree with the editorial board. The first order of business is the removal of Trump from the presidency. Referrals of articles of impeachment from office of special counsel, for leverage; indictments from state and federal jurisdictions for all family members. NY state indictments against Trump Jr. that do not mirror federal crimes thus obviating a pardon and the double jeopardy laws of New York state. The Trumps have to go now.
" ... the chance to press President Trump about whether he is interested in making progress on his stated goals or is a hypocrite intent on waging partisan trench warfare for the remainder of his term." If Vegas were setting odds, the latter would be a three touchdown favorite. He is already threatening to use the Senate to investigate Democrats in retaliation for any House investigation of him.
The House Democrats should start right away with a practical agenda to fix things that the citizens want (Dems & Rep voters) such as infrastructure that focuses on roads and crumbling bridges. This would call Trump and the GOP's bluff if they refuse to support such a bill and/or Trump vetoes it.
Another issue the citizenry pretty much agrees on is campaign finance reform and getting the dark money out of politics, but it is a stretch for the foxes in the chicken house to undertake such as cleaning and ethics project. But it would help in the long run to shift elections back to the people instead of special interests. Controlling drug prices would be another winner for the people.
Trump is immediately employing his extortion strategy telling Dems he will only work with them if they promise not to investigate him. Flip the strategy: Dems should tell Trump he needs to support their bills for the people (climate change, education, affordable health care, raising the cap on Social Security), and if he does that, then they will hold off investigating him.
However, let him know he will be investigated by the House if the results of the Mueller investigation warrant it. Meanwhile, the House committee on intelligence should quietly get as much information on Trump as it can--missing pieces that Mueller does not disclose--and be ready to move when Trump becomes bellicose and uncooperative. Call it an
"incentive" to encourage Trump to be more cooperative.
@PB The unequal voting experience is one of the most basic unequal protections of law in the US.
Beautiful job, thank you.
The good news is that we will get more conservative Judges and Justices.
9
@jaco
Only corporations will benefit from more conservative judges...everyone below the top 5% will have to deal with less money and more pollution.
6
@jaco
We are getting them already - Trump & Co. have appointed many judges already.
@jaco
Look at their record, and you'll see that conservative judges and Justices systematically do the following:
1. strongly increasing the power of the wealthy to influence elections and politicians
2. systematically favor globalists (those who use the government to make the world's wealthiest 1% even wealthier, on Wall Street and elsewhere)
3. impose religious rules that most Americans reject onto the entire American people.
Is there any good reason why this could be considered to be "good" news?
11
The Democrats won the House last night, the first time in 8 years. Those who voted for the Dems are expecting a check on Trump. In fact, one could argue that the only reason Dems won was because enough of the electorate was sick and tired of Trump's lying. So they've given the Dems the power to hold him responsible for his actions. So why, oh why, is every editorial and op-ed immediately, cautiously admonishing the Dems not to over reach? Why don't we wait until some over reach exists before we try to protect against it? And why is no one asking the GOP about their over reach? Over reach with voter suppression? Over reach with separating children from parents? Over reach in allowing Trump to lie and obfuscate? Over reach with trying to kill pre-existing conditions?
3
Adam Schiff for Speaker.
I haven't heard much about the Republican Party's agenda for the lame-duck Congress, in which they still have a majority.
Maybe they haven't said much.
Stunned by the "3 hour long wait to vote" post poll closing in a town in Orange County, CA.
1
I think it misguided for Democrats to personalize oversight. My belief is that if we make oversight about Trump, we energize his followers to defend him. A better approach is to focus on finding out the truth, not on directly attach Trump. The facts are damning enough.
Trump has been lying so much and with so little consequence that politicians on all sides have become desensitized. He can, and will lie just as much over the next two years as he has done in the last, but now there can be consequences. We need to bring back into the political world the ideas of truthfulness, honor and integrity.
Trump want conflict. Trump wants anger from the left. Trump wants us to attack him personally, because he knows that only binds his followers more closely to him. He is Antaeus, and like him must be cut off from his source of power to be defeated.
Republicans have spent the last 8 years investigating...nothing.
Now Americans have a chance to investigate - everything.
From trumpRussia to election fraud to campaign finance crime to money laundering to influence peddling.
Expose the Republican crime syndicate. Expose Kavanaigh for the sex offender and perjurer even Republicans know he is. Expose all the corruption in the White House and cabinet. Build an unassailable case for impeachment of Kavanaugh, and removing and indicting the Russian asset in Chief, and all the Republicans who worked to obstruct justice.
1
Here are two strategic items that probably aren't talked about much that could pay dividends for all citizens:
(1) Take the high ground and insist upon statehood for Puerto Rico and WDC. This could be one of the most fundamental granting of citizen rights this century by providing voting representation for PR and WDC in the United States Congress and allowing PR electoral votes for President. It would also place and opponents in a very awkward position of explaining why they don't support one person one vote for all US citizens. And,
(2) Promote electoral reform for the entire US including making sure all individual Secretary's of State portions non-partisan and require such persons to step down if they are running for a partisan office. In addition, standardize election procedures, use of up today operating systems, and require a paper trail.
2
The Democrats need to expand their base. The economic realignment of the past 30+ years hollowed out the middle class and rural America and created an extremely wealthy top 1%. Both political parties failed to provide a safety net for the millions of middle and lower middle Americans, even while the nation as a whole kept getting wealthier. Trump and the Republicans cleverly tapped into the anxieties and resentments of these Americans while actually doing nothing for them. Democrats actually did something tangible to help in the form of Obamacare, but it was clearly not enough. What the House Dems need to do now is to aggressively adopt Bernie's progressive agenda of universal healthcare and free college tuition. The top 1% will have to pay for it. That's the only way they can appeal to the rural red America.
1
Democrats, you won the house, now do something! Do NOT resist Trump, it is a waste of time, and is hurting our democracy. Focus on addressing areas where we need to work together, were most agree that work needs to happen. Number 1, forget protecting some idea of Obama's legacy when it comes to healthcare. Do what you knew needed to be done in 2010! LOWER COSTS, and change the limit 'no more than 20% profit' that insurance can clear. Change it to 20% gross profit, not net. They produce nothing when it comes to care, nothing. Let's pay providers and stop growing HHS and CMS bureacracy that hurts providers and enriches third parties (insurance, EMS companies, etc.). Our costs are out of this world, and inexcusable. Too many making a profit on healthcare without providing any care whatsoever. Second, invest in infrastructure, but do so with states sharing the cost OR limit to 3 years. Too often the Fed dumps money into 'infrastructure' only to find we are building a 2 billion dollar bridge to no where; or a trolly care in ATL to nowhere. But more than anything, stop with the emotional cry for open boarders. IT's a non-starter; most of us do not want illegal immigrants, whatever their sad story, to arrive and stay on US soil. ENOUGH with birth tourism for the Chinese and Russians that have extreme wealth on the backs of the citizens of those countries. Thank you for listening?
@Ma
Ever since Obamacare passed (a truly historic event that had been decades in the making, and one of Pelosi's most important life achievements, as the law will soon be a decade old and as such have saved an additional half a million American lives), Democrats have tried to add much more ambitious improvements to it then what you're proposing here.
It has never been the idea(l)s that are lacking, when it comes to Democrats, it's having the legal power to sign them into law that so often lacks.
And that legal power is lacking simply because half of "we the people" aren't paying attention to who's doing what in DC, and imagine that real, lasting, radical, democratic change somehow would not be step by step change but could be achieved overnight, with one single bill.
Secondly, NO Democrat EVER supported the idea of an "open border" (let alone do so with an "emotional cry"). Obama deported more illegal alien criminals than Bush, and it's systematically Democrats who push for bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bills, including strengthening the southern border in a science-based way, and Republicans who when push comes to shove, refuse to vote for it.
Conclusion: only when "we the people" start paying attention, rather than blindly believe GOP fake news about "liberals", will we have a government for the people...
1
@Ma: It doesn't matter where people are born. People are migratory animals always seeking greener pastures.
@Ana Luisa. Ignoring and subverting immigration laws, weakening the border, never deporting anybody, ever, once they get here even people on temporary visas, supporting chain migration, calling for a pathway to citizenship for line jumpers, sanctuary cities, always wanting higher immigration numbers, calling anybody who says anything different a "racist and xenophobe" abolishing ICE. You don't have to say "we're for open borders" but when you act like this, it pretty much means the same thing.
Let's be clear. We still have the lame-duck session to contend with. The Republicans in the House have proved that they are willing to thwart democracy and protect the crimes of the Trump administration at any cost. We are due for two months of scandalous behavior from Republicans before the new Congress begins.
For voters this is not a time to be complacent. We must be vigilant and call out this probable behavior at every possible moment.
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@William O. Beeman: They might abolish the Speakership.
Satire from The Borowitz Report The New Yorker Magazine
"Putin Loses Control of the House"
By Andy Borowitz November 6, 2018
"MOSCOW (The Borowitz Report)—Calling it “the biggest disappointment of my political career,” Vladimir Putin conceded late Tuesday night that he had lost control of the United States House of Representatives.
Putin made his concession speech from the Kremlin, where he congratulated the Democrats for waging a “tough fight.”
“Maybe if Facebook and Twitter hadn’t banned so many of my fake accounts, the results would have been different,” Putin said. “But I don’t want to make excuses—I threw everything I had at these races, and I lost.”
Putin did, however, have harsh words for Donald Trump, who opted for a fear-mongering closing argument about immigration despite the Russian President’s objections.
“I warned him that that would kill us in the suburbs, and he ignored me,” Putin said. “I hope this teaches him never to disobey my orders again.”
2
"Policy Battles?". Everything is a battle with the GOP or did the Editorial Board forget that a sitting Democratic President couldn't even get his Supreme Court nominee a "courtesy" hearing do to an invented "policy" matter. In essence, this editorial is an entreaty for neutering the Democratic party- again.
3
Why is it that when Republicans come into office, they pursue every hateful and harmful item on their agenda with wicked, gleeful abandon, yet Democrats should tiptoe carefully so as not to annoy anybody?
3
I want less spin from The NY Times! I would also like to know more about the rural voting patterns for the House and governorships and if there was ANY shift in voting patterns. Because if say 30% voted against the Trump picks that is hopeful and significant.
Are there more moderates out there in the redlands? The primaries left many rural areas with a choice between an arch conservative or diving into the unknown and voting for, gasp, a Democrat and sometimes, double gasp, a Democrat who wasn’t white and wasn’t male.
Because there is so much more to this than just the big races. Is there any more diversity in smaller local races for things like judges and sheriffs and state houses? Or are those offices also moving solidly into Trumpworld? How ghastly have our fellow citizens really become?
It is important to try to find some good news about the character of rural red state citizens because we all need to feel part of the same country and starting to hate each other is not helpful. The NY Times IS very biased and reading it does lead to outrage at and a growing hatred towards Trump voters. I read the paper in the morning and find myself thinking really upsetting nasty thoughts about the conservative rural Americans I live amongst. I need The NY Times to tone down the vitriol. The facts and tweets speak loudly for themselves with out all the spin.
The Democrats are going to be blamed by Trump for his failures over the next two years so they might as well play hardball. Launch a hundred investigations until the White house is snowed with lawyers and beat the healthcare and minimum wage drums 24/7. They have no real power anyway so nothing to lose and everything to gain.
First job, return those children to their parents.
2
@What'sNew
Agreed. Sometimes doing the right thing might even cost a few bucks. We can afford it.
Well. What a surprise. A reasonable assessment by the Editorial Board of the situation facing the Blue House.
The comments about Pelosi are central to the problem Democrats face. Not only has Pelosi inherited a herd of cats, she also has to deal with a quarter mile of rope.
Herding cats and pushing ropes will be nigh on impossible. The House Democrats are a fractious lot who have a number of personal agendas to pursue that will not be appreciated by the cooler, wiser, political veterans of the Party. Remember how disruptive the Tea Party was on the other side of the aisle? There are several tea parties in the Democratic anti-Trump coalition. Expect lots of internecine strife and sibling rivalries in the House. And, that's in addition to the incendiary investigations and impeachments.
Good luck, Nancy. Heck, Trump may turn out to be your best bud and soul mate.
The elections highlight very serious problems. Trump and the GOP is extremely racist and corrupt and are undermining democracy and confidence in government and political institutions that must be clean. Backed by white voters who respond to these racist messages, mostly rural voters,and don't really care about corruption in high places, they have gained senate seats in red states. There is a need for better education in rural areas. At a minimum, every voter should be required to either have a college degree or take a short course in civics. We still face a dangerous racist and fascist threat from many uneducated white voters, in this country.
Good lord, I highly disagree with this op-ed. First, let's consider the statement that we shouldn't try to get rid of Trump, "absent overwhelming evidence of impeachable offenses". Who else do you know has an entire Wikipedia page devoted to their legal affairs? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_affairs_of_Donald_Trump Trump is a crook, any sane person knows it, and the Democrats, following Mueller's evidence, should make the move to impeach.
Secondly, we can't worry about bending over backwards to not anger middle of the road voters.....The Democrats have been spineless for years. If you refuse to stand up for what's right you turn off those voters, more substantial in number (in my opinion), who would gladly support a progressive stance and more progressive candidates.
the president is speaking on tv. you would think the democrats got slapped and the republicans took every available seat - he is speaking some form of political gibberish - nothing is in context. everyone is congratulating him for his great job. everybody has a great job and is making lots of money - like never seen before. maybe the first thing the democrats need to do is hire a team of experts to determine if the president has a brain and if it's connected to anything. he also needs an honesty implant.
Hope the Democrats don't whittle away the sweeping win of the House. They should prioritize issues and concerns that affect the majority of Americans. Hope they don't get waylaid and tricked into issues by the wily Republicans. Healthcare, taxes for the rich, infrastructure and protection of the constitution should take precedence. Above all they should end this President's audacity and a complete disregard of the law and our great institutions. Pick the battles, vote as a block. They should look and focus on the big picture and not be distracted by the wily Republicans who will play defense and divide. In the past the Democrats have been their own worst enemies. They should win the war, not petty, insignificant battles.
Democrats
Avoid to become the Party of Obstructionism, the Party that Blocks Everything Republican - simply because it is Republican.
Obstructionism will hand Trump a Trump in the 2020 election - he will label you the do nothing party
Instead, pursue a strategy of driving a wedge between Republicans (most of who personally detest Trump) and hard core Trump supporters.
Hey wait a minute! Since the wee hours, I surrendered to your Editorial appeal for excess paralyzing thinking as well as Pelosi's instant surrender to Trump after winning the Battle for the House.
Let me tell you something; I fought to win for two years to stop the monster and the hate and anger from the dangerous Republicans and there is no way I will be subordinate to you and Pelosi in your surrender.
The Democrats are going to lose in 2020 because they surrendered. We Democrats voted for them to win, not surrender and no way will I support the Democrats again. They lost forever by weakly asking for bipartisanship in a masochistic action in the face of a truly sadistic Republican party who worked to win at all costs led by Trump.
You and Pelosi might want to be "Nice" but it's a losing strategy for 2020. We got out and voted to win, not surrender.
This is a losing strategy for a losing party that just won.
@Shakinspear
So ... Pelosi, against all the naysayers and cynics (and sexists) just obtained a huge victory against Trump, after having already defeated him on ALL crucial issues that he wanted to get Congress to "make a deal" with him, and instead of celebrating and congratulating her, all you have to say is that in your mind she actually just "surrendered" to Trump ... ?!
Clearly, it's not just Republican voters who are living in an "alternative facts" universe ... ;-)
The Democrats lose anyway they turn. They go after Trump they'll get nothing but a black eye for halting the real business of government. If the economy has a hiccup, it's going to be laid at the feet of the Dems. If illegals are allowed to flood into our country, they'll own that one too. The best tact for the Democrats will be to formulate policies, show how they'll work, how much they'll cost and the benefit to the American people; that they can do more than just obstruct and delay.
2
Does anyone else in the Democratic Party find it slightly amusing that the so-called “far left” wants to dictate who should be the party leader when in the last campaign they lost by 4 million votes. They lost in all the cultural Centers, New York, Los Angeles Chicago, San Francisco, etc,etc. They’re victories were mostly in small red states. And they were infiltrated by foreign agents and helped by Republicans. Sure many of them are our children and they are on the right side of politics but they’ve outgrown their britches.
2
The Democrats must not make promises that they cannot keep. If they say they are going to lower health care costs they must do it. Costs were exorbitant for some under Obamacare and this was not supposed to happen. They saw their premiums rise and doctors left many healthcare plans. Obama said if you like your doctor you can keep your doctor but that was often a myth. If you make a promise, stick to it. President Trump made promises that actually came true (lower taxes, job creation, robust economy). They must not just talk. They must act.
Impeachment must not be spoken as this is not popular among the voters even those who lean left. Unless there is a crime committed by our president (and there has been absolutely no proof) this should not even be mentioned. This will not endure the voters in 2020 but turn many away.
The Democrats may have won the house but they have a lot of work ahead of them. Winning the election was easy but getting things done is the hard part. Let's see how it all works out for them. It looks easier than it actually is.
A major concern to all is the environment. The devastation that we have seen these past few years -- major hurricanes, sea level flooding, tornadoes, droughts and storms --- should be high priority for everyone. Changes in food supply all relate to environmental change. That major issue should concern the democrats as well as the republicans, yet it is hardly mentioned in campaign rhetoric.
3
The Times seems to assume that Democratic leadership has some control over the national discourse. They don't. The Kavanuagh nomination poo-storm proved that. Senate Dems were focused exclusively on Dr. Ford's testimony. The media-sphere was consumed with all the other salacious allegations. Dems got tarred with the latter no matter how assiduously they avoided them.
I adore Nancy Pelosi. But she has been an architect of the party's centrist strategy that has proven such an abject failure. If the Democrats performance last night was just a tad anemic, it is likely due to the persistence of the old familiar leadership.
What came across to me was the anti Trump voting. Of course Trump thrives from his opposition's hatred. So a competing wave of Republicans who are competitive more than reflective came out and moderated the anti Trump wave.
@jaco
And the GOP didn't win the Senate either of course ...
Welcome in the "alternative facts" universe ... ;-)
In real life though, Trump said that the elections would be a vote for or against him, and the GOP lost the House and the Governor's races, with only two Senate seats to console themselves.
Fact is, it's over now. 99% of the pieces of legislation that Trump has campaigned on and didn't even manage to get signed into law when his own party controlled DC, will be definitively buried now.
Deal with it.
The "policy battles" I would like the Democrats (and the Republicans) to pick:
1. Get money out of politics, i.e. reform election financing.
2. Get religion out of politics: religion should be something private, do not allow politicians to use it (and use you) for their political or personal profit (judge them by what they do, not what they say).
3. Reform the tax code, i.e. higher taxes for everybody, fairer taxation, elimination of all subsidies whatsoever: taxpayers should not have to subsidize your mortgage nor your charitable donations, nor anything of the kind. We need that money to rebuild our roads, bridges, schools, etc.
1
Missing from your list of possible successors to Ms. Pelosi is Rep. Adam Schiff. Democrats would be hard pressed to find a leader more well-spoken, level-headed and calm-under-fire than he.
3
The House Dems need to be political with their battles and not act from the heart. They need to know the endgame before they start a hunt. Ultimately, they simply need to block Trump and Senate Republicans from achieving any of their obnoxious goals in the next two years.
1
The "I" word Dems really need to avoid until they get their act together is immigration - specifically, their utter lack of policy proposals to address Americans' not-irrational anxiety about porous borders, untold numbers of people from other countries already in the country illegally, and literal caravans of people trying to join them by any means necessary.
1
@abigail49
I'm not clear about what you wrote:
"The main concern of anti-immigration voters is illegals taking jobs."
What jobs? Jobs that US farmers, meatpackers, etc. can't fill from a US workforce unable or unwilling to do the difficult work? I don't think that E-Verify helps the US economy. (Maybe that's not your point, but still...)
Research shows, I believe, that immigrants (legal or not) are motivated, hard workers who come to the US to make a decent wage to support their families or to escape devastating conditions in their home countries.... not to commit crimes. I'm not sure if this is the reason that you offer E-Verify as a solution, but I'm personally tired of supposedly useful solutions like "throw the illegals out!" We need a more pragmatic and less dogmatic approach to keep the US strong, safe, and with enough workers willing to do the jobs that need to be done.
2
I was anticipating something nonsensical along the lines of what some Dems have been pushing for (investigate Trump and make his life miserable while accomplishing nothing leading up to 2020). So I was pleasantly surprised to see this editorial from a board that often flies off the handle itself. Are there new members on this editorial board, or has it come to its senses? Either way, I hope future opinions are similar in their moderate, reasonable views.
2
I am not a fan of impeachment, at this moment. However, I believe that Americans of all views are united in the belief that the powerful never pay a price. Whether we are thinking of bankers who never went to jail, or of CIA types who did torture and never went to jail, of EPA officials who broke laws and never went to jail, most of us see a pattern. I know that I do.
Perhaps we could start off with Donald Trump jr, less well defended than papa bear and perhaps more vulnerable. A conviction would show that the law looks high as well as low.
2
Sounds like sound advice for a completely different era in politics. They need to go after Trump. You say it was a losing strategy for Gingrich. Is that true? We just had six years of congress being controlled by Republicans. I think it is a long term winning strategy. Republicans have been on the attack since 1994 and it has paid dividends. The country has lurched hard to the right. The only liberal wins have come from a divided supreme court (gay marriage). It has been 22 years of losing ground. It is time to put on the boxing gloves. What you propose is surrender after a victory. If the Dems don't step-up and go after Trump, the people that elected them will stay home in 2020.
2
Once seated, House Democrats should introduce a voluntary Medicare buy-in bill, this actually polls very well. Could initially be limited to Americans over 50 or 55. Of course it will not pass the Senate, but then Democrats can rightfully say that they are trying to work towards real solutions that will ensure that more Americans have access to affordable coverage, not like the GOP repeal and whatever approach.
Look at Medicaid expansion passing in conservative Idaho, Montana and Nebraska, affordable health care is bipartisan.
2
Yes, but remember the US Senate voted to confirm judge Brett Kavanaugh to the supreme court, handing Donald Trump a major victory and America a bench expected to tilt to the right for the next generation.
2
What Now?! Voter purging AKA "caging":
Report on voter purges everyday and raise the level of awareness about the #1 reason why Trump took power, and Republicans continue to enslave Americans.
Just look at Georgia, where over 300,000 registered voters have been purged by Kemp. Jimmy Carter even wrote a letter admonishing Kemp for overseeing his own election while simultaneously holding office as secretary of state!
Here's a story about a 92 year old woman that was voting since 1968 who was turned away from the polls in Georgia because they have no record of her ever voting.
Vile!!
https://www.gregpalast.com/92-year-old-georgia-grandmother-purged-from-voter-rolls/
1
Please direct me to your editorial about Harry Reid's year’s of obstruction in the Senate.
1
Oh how much disdain does the unqualified resident have for Representative Pelosi? He and the republicans declared war on her and she won ....The Misogynist in Chief will never be the same......... Undoubtedly the most important result of the election is that The Con Man in Chief will have to listen to a woman and that woman is addressed as Madam Speaker . The sexual assaulter in chief is silent on this new arrangement where Congress especially the House of Representatives led by a woman will now demand to be treated as a coequal branch of our government .
And also The Racist in Chief will be investigated by Chairman Elijah Cummings the new Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has one of the broadest jurisdictions of any committee in Congress, with expansive authority to oversee a wide range of governmental and private sector activities. Thank goodness for the voters who do not believe The Liar in Chief and his cult in the Republican party who continual put their party ahead of our Great country.
3
While I agree with you on all of this, I question your use of the term "wilding." As you were no doubt aware when you chose the word, it was the fabricated word used to describe the violent carousing of black youths in Central Park, coined immediately after the Central Park Jogger incident. Donald Trump called for the death penalty for those boys, later proven to be innocent. That you would choose that word to describe Democrats possibly becoming over-aggressive in pursuit of investigations into Trump is damnable, though you no doubt thought it clever at the time.
1
HEALTHCARE!!!!
2
I want Democrats to stand up for Americans and the Constitution. If that means gridlock and obstruction, so be it. Trump and his enablers are a malignant infection on the values, mores, and standing of the republic. There is never a right time to coddle, compromise, or give comfort to a tyrant.
3
Now what, you ask?
Well, I know what I will be doing.
How about you?
You've had four years (if you don't count the four previous decades of intimate local acquaintance) to figure out how to cover the Trump without legitimizing or glorifying his perverse shtick.
Its probably time you look to yourselves for some results.
Between the clandestine redness of Mo the Right and your ongoing apologist commentary, your hard news is little more than an advomercial for every ugly impulse and damnable lie flowing from the White House.
A little distance, please.
A little factual counter argument beyond 'pants on fire' rating systems. Maybe get a real political scientist to assess the damage already done and comment on the very real, cum terrifying, dangers in the road immediately ahead.
You have been lying spread-eagle before the juggernaut of classic totalitarianism that is Trump and his minions, you have ignored (largely) the concerted perfiudy of our politicians, and have yet to mention the damage done by our richest and most corporate citizens looking out only for their mistaken idea of self-interest.
We are very much in crisis. Trump is the classic symptom. And you have had very little to say.
Now what?
3
I predict the democrats in the house will overplay their hand with full throated support from "progressive" media like the NYT. Will set the stage for a Trump victory in 2020.
1
Impeach trump. The democrats and indeprndants and all other than rural voters want him impeached
1
The Dreamers are still here? Why haven't they been deported yet?
The Democrats Won the House. Now What?
For starters get rid of your geratic leadership and put younger folks in place
3
@Gerhard
When a CEO of a company brings that company a huge victory, the entire company celebrates and rewards him for the hard work and for having made all the right decisions.
What you propose is that as soon as that CEO isn't a young white male, forget about merit, fire her anyhow ... ?
You won't go anywhere with this kind of horrible suggestions in 2018.
It's a woman of almost 80 years old and who has absolutely outstanding political instincts and competencies, combined with a perfect moral compass and her heart at the right place, who just beat the most immoral, racist white man to ever sit in the White House.
If it would have been a man who achieved this, the entire country would be celebrating.
Now that it's an amazingly strong and compassionate woman, all that you guys can do is complaining about her age ... ?
Pathetic.
GO NANCY!!
Obamacare will soon be a decade old and have saved an additional half a million American lives ... thanks to YOU and real, 21th century men such as Barack Obama. You've more than deserved today's fabulous victory against everything that's wrong with this country!
Forget impeachment for now. Better to weaken him slowly with embarrassing costly lawsuits, investigations, subpoenas, indictments of his kids, rolling over his henchmen. Air his dirty business, get his barber to squeal. I look forward to two years of trashing Trump.
Congressional Democrats need to focus on building a narrative that will convince voters that Trump needs to go in 2020. That means focusing on proposing and enacting legislation that reflects the will of the people - healthcare, sensible immigration policies, combatting domestic terrorism, rebuilding our deteriorating infrastructure. If they waste their time trying to drum Trump out of office via threats of impeachment or endless hearings (which are nothing more than verbal flatulence sessions), mainstream voters will lose interest and we will be condemned to four more years of the present nonsense. The Times has hit the nail squarely on the head - time for responsible and responsive actions from Congress.
2
Impeach trump for hacking the dnc in 2016 with putin’s assistance
3
When President Obama created DACA, he implied that it would be restricted to those who had been brought here as youngsters and who had gone on to graduate from high school. DACA is much more inclusive. It covers anyone who arrived here before turning age 16, regardless of their education.
It is possible to qualify for DACA, if one has never been to school, but would now enroll in an elementary school program for adults or in an English as a Second Language Course, if the latter has a record of helping immigrants either find work or gain admission to a job training program.
Obama said DACA would protect those who had been brought here as babes-in-arms; he did not describe the majority of undocumented immigrants DACA has the potential to cover. These are the ones who either never went to school or who dropped out after a few years to go to work. At some point, they followed others from their rural villages to the U.S. where they did not enroll in school. The jobs they can fill pay too little to support families without large amounts of government assistance.
These undereducated immigrants would qualify for DACA, if they would now enroll in school, even though the chances of their ever graduating from high school or qualifying for a GED is quite small.
And, this is an age when even citizens, with no more than a high school diploma, have trouble finding steady, decent-paying work.
DACA should be more selective.
To me, their first job is to deal with the huge economic inequality in the country. The Democrats have for too long looked the other way or actively supported the slide of the middle class begun by Republicans. I hope they don't turn their backs -- yet again -- on the disappearing middle class, the working poor and the destitute. I know that these aren't people like them -- affluent, professional -- but they need to tackle the issue anyway.
1
Reinforce and expand healthcare. Rein in pharmaceutical costs. Let Dreamers stay. Eliminate gerrymandering. Institute national, automatic voter registration at 18. Change voting days to Saturdays, require employers allow time off from work (not every state does this) or make them national holidays.
Then, investigate.
4
Forget impeachment, it won't happen. Prove you can govern. Trump's biggest stick is the economy, look at this week's Economist to see how big that stick could be. Do not play Trump's game by reacting to each outrageous statement. Show the nation that a Democratic President and government will be a productive, stable government that will bring dignity and caring back to our nation and our relations with the world. Realize that compromise is not a dirty word if it results in moving forward. Keep focused on the real goal, the Presidency in 2020.
5
My personal feelings about Nancy Pelosi are more or less indifferent, but if the Democrats make Nancy Pelosi the Speaker of the House again, Trump will get re-elected in 2020 because the left-leaning youth vote will feel alienated and not return in 2020 to vote Democratic. Furthermore, Pelosi (who will be 80 then) will continue to be a target to energize the Republican base to come out in 2020. With a new Speaker - preferably a minority - the GOP will have a more difficult time attacking.
For the same reasons, Chuck Schumer perhaps out to step aside as the Senate Minority Leader with the Democrats passing that on to Kirsten Gillibrand.
4
@VJR
Imho, it's up to us to explain to "the left-leaning youth" why lawmaking is a full-time job like any other job, and as a consequence the more experience you have and the more you've accomplished, the better you're at it and the more we should hire rather than fire those people - EVEN when they're female, and EVEN when they're seniors.
It's also up to us to explain to them what "left-leaning" actually means, and how to achieve progress in DC.
The most important problem of young people is their political illiteracy. And because they're so young, the only ones to blame for not having informed them well enough are we ourselves ...
As to the idea that the GOP will have more difficulty attacking a new face: when their propaganda machine fabricates fake news 24/7, I really don't see how that could be the case.
We're in a new era now, where the GOP fires up its base through the fabrication of an "alternative facts" bubble that replaces reality (including the reality of what the GOP does in DC) for its voters. That means that the only way to get rid of them is to actively contact the 50% of the American people who aren't voting yet.
In other words, we need to ADD people, rather than giving in to the masochistic tendency on the left to abandon our own best and most experimented talents.
And we will be able to add them by finally focusing on policy rather than "charismatic persons".
1
@Ana Luisa
I understand what you are saying and I don't disagree, but the fact of the matter is that young people do not feel that they have a significant vested interest in extending the reign of the Democratic Establishment - especially one which obviously conspired in torpedoing Bernie Sanders, their hero, and do equally nefarious things typical of the GOP to accomplish their goal of Hillary as the 2016 nominee. Alienating that youth base is a major reason she lost the election. Like it or not, Nancy Pelosi is guilty by association and they don't have much faith in her considering her loss of the House in 2010.
1
It does not bode well for us that we do not and have not known for months what the Democrats have planned. I suspect it is because they do not have a plan.
As much as I want every single republican in office elected or appointed for the last 40 years investigated down to the numbers of bacteria in their colons there are a lot of things they can do which are more constructive for country until they get a majority in both houses again.
I am not saying they should not get El Trumpo's tax returns I am saying that should be a minor part of what they are doing. El Trumpo will of course blow his flute and get teh Press to only talk about him and whatever he wants them to focus on, the House Dem's should ignore it and go on doing constructive things. Maybe the press will finally grow up and stop letting El Trumpo lead them around by their bank statements.
Sorry but the house Dems should not collaborate with Trump who will never ever give credit to the other party. Trump is zero-sum in everything. Just lay out strong policy positions understanding they will never get through the Senate or President.
The real emphasis is to investigate! There is so much dirt both before and after the election on Trump and his team. Get the tax returns, investigate the chaos and malfeasance of the White House, the conflicts of interest, and the blatant lies. Ensure the Mueller report sees the light of day. Then impeach.
1
It’s time for Democrats to start showing the courage of their own convictions. Hillary was cheated out of the presidency. That should not be excepted. The FBI, Comey, the Russians all worked with republicans to undermine our democracy. They got help from Bernie Sanders who did everything he could undermine Hillary and democrats for his political gain. He lost. By 4 million votes, but did enough damage to help Trump eke out the slimmest of electoral college victories. We must undo this injustice. We cannot as a nation let it stand.
3
Well done America. At least you voted the proper way when it came to these House elections. But too bad you didn't vote the correct way in the Florida Senate and Governor elections.
3
The Democrats now need to show Americans WHY they should be trusted to make their lives better. If the Dems simply go after Trump - and believe me I would LOVE to see him taken down! - their victory will be short-lived. Create bills that will get the long-promised infrastructure jobs off the ground. Get E-Verify up and running to put the accountability on hiring illegal immigrants where it belongs: on employers. Take up Medicare For All since health care is an issue that crosses party lines. Create legislation that gives incentives to creating domestic jobs, and punishing off-shoring.
Only after initiating these things, and after Mueller submits his findings, should the Dems then pursue Trump's transgressions and crimes. If they pursue Trump first, they'll only be dragged into a quagmire and not be able to accomplish anything, and that's exactly what Trump and the Republicans want.
2
Don’t agree with the editorial’sn I’mplicit caution re tax returns and investigations. What’s more, any comparison to the Clinton investigation and subsequent impeachment when GOP over-played their hand is the mother of all false equivalencies . It makes me crazy. Where’s the comparison between someone who tells the most frequent lie in the world- only provable as a lie because of Linda Tripp’s sneaky recordings- and d a POTUS who has clearly violated the emoluments clause,and human rights of “illegal” immigrants, obstructed justice, called the press the enemy of the people and encouraged or lauded violence. Please b
1
Investigate voter suppression in states like Georgia.
3
Democrats need to proceed with a plan to resolve immigration reform quickly. Preempt Trump's 2020 playbook. This was just a test.
1
@Harley Leiber There have been sensible bi-partisan plans floated. Rubio had one years ago but the far right held too much power at that time and basically quashed it.
It could be baby steps. Restore DACA. But I doubt a straight DACA bill can go through, I think you'd need to add border security funding to the bill as well.
You will find wide centrist support to such a plan. The key would be if the far right or far left cold block such a deal. I seriously doubt Trump would veto such a bill if it reached his desk.
Good news: this is reasonably sane advice. Bad news: there's almost no chance it will happen. Republicans control Government and Democrats contrail committees. They will generate a sea of paper that rapidly alienates their already rather thin majority. It's happened before.
You can bet your bottom dollar that Republicans are going to wield the Senate's mighty hammer forcefully. And it goes without saying that Trump will do the same from the Oval.
Coming into the House seeking "balance" in this environment will result in Democrats doing nothing but getting steamrolled.
Democrats finally have some power in this administration.
They best use every ounce of it.
1
Democrats take the House. Now it's Mueller time.
2
Immediately, upon learning that the Democrats had been projected to win the House, Nancy Pelosi took to the podium to address the crowd of supporters and immediately surrendered to Trump after winning the battle, once again making me sick with her appeal for "Bipartisanship". I no longer want her as a leader as she seems fatigued politically and unwilling to confront the threat of Trump in which we only have two years to succeed. Pelosi has led the party for eight losing years. When will my party learn? I didn't struggle to win for two years to see my party surrender. The masochistic desire to avoid confrontation in the face of a sadistic leader holding on to the old mantra of "Bipartisanship", submitting to the battle strong will most assuredly mean defeat across the board for Democrats in 2020.
@Shakinspear Have you been listening to the voters across the country? They want civil bi-partisan behaviors. The Dems that gave the House majority are mostly moderate Dems from swing districts. Those districts are clearly looking for Congress working together and STOPPING the partisanship.
If the Dems don't do this, those same type of swing voters will turn on them in 2020 and beyond.
This was folks looking to turn Congress and the entire government not red or blue, but more a functioning purple.
1
Adam Schiff should be on the short list to succeed Pelosi.
3
Neither side can legitimately claim ‘victory’.
Probably the best outcome.
Now BOTH sides have to work to get back to the centre.
What cannot be gainsayed is that Trump has done far, far better than this newspaper’s Editorial Board and the majority of its readership would like or have predicted. If the liberal left in the USA is not careful, Trump will gain a second term.
1
@Marco Polo This was more a purple wave than anything and the center is there. The question is if the Dems will ignore the loud progressives and try to forge some centrist policies.
The GOP did not do that well in 2010, they allowed the loud but minority TEAs to cost them a few senate seats, to block some things, to pull Romney too far right in 2012, etc.
I despise Pelosi but she is experienced and may understand how the progressives could cause a similar self destruction.
1
@Marco Polo
Actually, the outcome perfectly corresponds to what polls and this newspaper had predicted.
And the reason is very clear: the combination of a GOP and Fox News both massively lying to their voters, turned the GOP voter base into a blindly following a party that no longer has to achieve anything in DC to get reelected, and that can easily destroy America's greatness without its voters even noticing.
In such an environment, the GOP knows that the last thing it should do is start governing.
Finally, poll after poll shows that it's the Democrats' platform that perfectly represents the "center" in this country, on most issues. And that center will only see its bills signed into law once the GOP has been voted out.
DNC heads are trying to spin this into a major win, while realizing they are in deep trouble.
Blue needed 23 points to win. Supreme Leader Nancy Pelosi predicted a blow out yesterday, the DNC talked all this time about a blue wave. Blue won by 27 points – 4 more than needed.
This is not a blow out, this is a beat the buzzer win. 6 of those are blue rebels like Ocasio-Cortez who refuse to toe the line. So Blue has to convince them to go with the party, while Red torpedos the Blue congress.
If anything Blue wants somehow passes the Liberals and the GOP, it will be insta-reject at the Senate.
If that goes to the SCOTUS, blue loses anyway.
If it goes to the President, he will veto.
Then for 2020, Blue’s hopes are gone. Beto O’Rourke is finished, Gillum in FL, Stacey in GA, Sinema in AZ, all gone.
This leaves Blue with Obama, Clinton and Biden to run in 2020.
Congratulations to the Democrats for winning the battle. Sorry you lost the war.
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I don’t think we have seen the last of Beto, Gillum and Abrams.
I so hope the Dems don't blow it. I want them to concentrate on policy, help Americans and do their best to pass laws. I want them to work on issues so that Trump is actually forced to see how difficult it is to be president. I want him to have to stay in the White House and work and not travel around the country to visit his adoring fans. Please do not start issuing subpoenas and worrying about his tax returns. Bob Mueller is still out there working and we have yet to hear from him.
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Endorsing views of hate against white males is not going to win you a popularity contest and nor should it. Stop imitating the worst aspects of Trump. The root cause of a lot of so called 'deplorables' anger is that they are just as economically disadvantage as any other poor person but all they get is hate because of the actions of the rich plutocratic elites which they have nothing in common with. If liberals would internalize that for a moment and offer poor people outside of the city some sort of assistance while toning down the white male hate speech because it is racism then the republicans and Trump wouldn't have a leg to stand on. Rich people have privilege. If you conflate rich with white then you're ignorant and a racist. Period.
Given how the NY Times Editorial Board
mandated that voters should vote out every
Republican, they and the Democrats failed.
Yes, choose your battles wisely, but also sit
down and ponder whether allowing Pelosi to be
your leader is not giving the Trumpists an obvious
target for 2020.
There was no blue wave, a blue ripple that needs to be
examined and nourished if you don't want Trump to
be president until 2025.
2
We are going to retreat because Republicans threaten us with their rhetoric? It only has any effect at all if someone like Bernie joins in. Otherwise as Democrats we don’t listen to anything I say. Maybe you do, and if so, maybe you should ask yourself why.
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I agree that impeachment should be placed on the back burner. As an active participant in the effort to recall
Scott Walker, I watched all our hard work go up in smoke. Mr. Walker became a hero to his base by painting those of us who opposed him as a rabid mob. Sound familiar? On the strength of that, he won the recall and gained a second term. I can only hope that an old adage will apply to Mr. Trump: "Give him enough rope and he will hang himself."
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Joe Cunningham to replace Pelosi as leader.
Immigration is a hot issue that divides us. Everyone is so emotionally involved, it's almost impossible to have a rational discussion.
This problem must be solved by the new legislators. Trump brought illegal immigration to the forefront in a heavy handed way, but it's true that for 40 years, Congress has avoided dealing with it.
Someone needs to answer questions. How many immigrants should we take in per year through legal process and from which countries?
Why don't we enforce an e-verify system? Many people are here simply for the money which they send home. Some would go back if they had no jobs. Most of us are tired of subsidizing big Agriculture and big Construction through our social programs.
If a worker comes here legally, should he/she be allowed to bring a spouse? Or should the worker come alone and go home after a certain length of time? This would avoid the "birthright" citizenship.
We all know the "invasion" is a ridiculous Trumpism, but it's likely that if thousands of people are admitted by storming the borders, there will be more caravans in the future. How can we prevent this without building a wall?
This is our chance to solve the worst threat to our country's unity. We have other important problems, but this one needs fixing, here and now before chaos ensues.
@Daphne Yep, this is a tricky one. Rubio and a gang of bipartisans had a reasonable template years ago but the far right pretty much derailed it.
A baby step might be the first way to go. A DACA bill that contains border security funding. The left and right would yap and Trump would complain to this base he is not getting enough for his wall, but I bet he'd sign it.
The key issue with immigration is what to do with the millions of folks that are here illegally but are valuable members of our society.
I don't think you can grant amnesty, but I do think you can give them legal status to stay with some kind of longer path to citizenship. Again, the far right will yap but again such a plan would have solid middle support.
Easier said than done of course...
@Marvin All good points. This must not be a partisan issue. Too much is at stake. Most Americans think DACA people should be allowed to work toward legal status. . If both parties are unhappy with an immigration bill, that means it’s a good one.
What now? Nothing.
Several things have become clear over the past several months. Despite it being 2 years since trump was elected, most people on the left still seem to have no clue regarding how and why he got elected in the first place. If they do, they've done nothing with this knowledge. Secondly, nobody seems to have a clue how to deal with trump now either. He's a bully - and we all know, or should know, that pacifying a bully never works. This editorial all but screams out loud, that it'll be best not to make waves. Just lie low, don't stir the pot. Well, that won't work with trump and more importantly with his base. Ya'll need his base - or part of it - in 2020, don't you think?
trump is a devil, that's obvious. But part of the reason he was elected is the income disparity that now reigns in the US. This disparity has been growing for years and trump bears no responsibility for that. The Dems are just as responsible for it as the Reps - both of which profit from it. Neither the Dems nor the Reps want to change the system. trump doesn't either but being the con artist he is, he's fooled the regular folk that comprise his base.
How many bankers and CEO's did Obama's administration jail as a result of the infamous 'banker-created' financial crisis of '08? None. Zero. One midlevel banker of a second tier bank went to prison - one scape goat. trump is there for trump. The Dems and Reps are there for themselves - we regular folk know that.
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Why did the democrats win the house ? Because the majority despise trump. White women voted evenly for both parties. White men voted republican by majority. The minorities, who trump and the gop bash regularly, voted heavily for democrats. When the minorities have demographics in their favor, the gop will be swept out of all but deep red states. The blue wave is coming
@observer The Dems won the house because the same swing voters that voted for Obama and then Trump swung again looking for a more moderate voice. This is a purple influx, not a blue wave.
This is not a new concept. The Dems held the Senate 15+ years ago in large part to the southern Democratic moderate Senatores, the Blue Dog Dems. Folks that were moderate Dems, who supported the 2nd amendment, some who were even pro-life.
The wave that is coming is going to be closer to purple and whatever party can put forth common sense, not combative moderate candidates will benefit from it.
What a mess. I will say leadership amongst the elders of both parties has been poor - an inverse image of “The Greatest Generation”. Not much to be proud of on either side, in my opinion....just a bunch of septuagenarians yelling the same accusations at each other. “Salted Earth” is a term that springs to mind.
The Democratic Party must promote some younger people and new ideas if they wish to hold on to Millenials and other young voters.
The Democratic Party must also take lessons from races won in the Midwest by moderates. All of these ad hominem, dead-end arguments simply insult working Americans just struggling to REACH retirement age, much less retire.
1
One of the best I have seen from the ED BD. Indeed, the advice is wise and in the best interests of the country. Concerning the herding of cats, I would point out that while the Dems have taken control of the House, it is by a narrow margin only which in context means that it will be very hard for the leadership to effectively keep each and every required vote in line. With other candidates for the speakership about to be heard, infighting is inevitable and will most likely become heated. Therefore I would respectfully add that this is the time for our elected representatives to put their own personal agendas and careers secondary to the opportunity at hand and the good of the electorate ahead of the elected.
1
@NYer Yep, the Dems face the same issue the GOP faced after 2010. The GOP had small majorities but the TEAs held a strong enough block to prevent a pure moderate GOP policy.
Now you have the Dems with not just a small majority but a GOP Senate. Any policy that comes out of the house that is Dem only would have to be far left to get the progressive vote and thus be DOA in the Senate. Similar to the umpteem ACA repeals the House did. Worthless.
Folks need to remember that a folks like Collins and Manchin have much more in common than Collins and Cruz or Manchin and Harris.
1
The country has always been torn between two factions, two opinions. Which is why compromises have historically been made on so many issues and policies. The difference now is that the president is poisonous, which has inflamed the political climate.
The Democrats need to lean center. The country can be brought together in time. Yesterday was start.
@msternb Closer to three, progressive, conservative and moderate. Problem is, we end up with a binary choice in our ingrained two party system.
The largest self identifying group is Independents, larger than Dems, larger than GOPs. It was this group that elected Obama, elected Trump and now elected a bunch of moderates to the House.
The big problem is, this largest group is basically split in half during the primaries and we end up getting bad binary choices like lefty Beto and righty Cruz when most voters would have jumped at a moderate of either party.
We are at heart a purple country that is given too many red-blue only races.
@msternb
We see things differently, I see democrats supporting
fascist socialism which has poisoned nations across the globe. We have a president that has a focus on America, not globalism, a pragmatist not a typical mealy mouthed politician.
Well, nice try, but there was no blue wave. In Florida, Republicans won all up & down the ballot. There will be no state wide elected Democrats. Sure, the Dems took the House. Virtually everyone thought that would happen with the mid term election and the uprising of the Trump resistance. But, there was a Republican response to that resistance and it has resulted in a more Republican Senate than ever, probably 54 or 55 seats once all of the dust has settled.
The Dems in the House should put away their hatred for Trump and start cooperating with him for the benefit of the country as a whole, not just the left wing of the party. Certainly, a compromise on the Dreamers is always available. The Dems just need to set aside their animosity and give Trump the funds he needs to build that "big, beautiful wall." Not gonna happen with Nancy Pelosi in charge. She has vowed that Trump will not get his wall. Talk about intransigence.
Let the Dems "investigate" the Trump Administration all they want. Pretty soon the electorate will tire of more investigations and know that the Dems have no new ideas and are not really interested in bringing the country together, just stopping the GOP from accomplishing objectives to make the country better. The next test is whether the Dems can offer a candidate or a platform that is acceptable to the country as a whole. Quite unlikely at this point.
3
So your criterium to know whether a blue wave allowed Democrats to take over GOP seats is not whether they took over GOP seats but whether the polls correctly predicted that they would ... ?
Not very credible, isn't it ... ? ;-)
If you want to get rid of hatred, the first thing to do when your opponent wins is to have the guts to recognize that fact and congratulate him. Funny how the self-declared "party of values" seems to have forgotten even the most basic form of politeness these days.
Secondly, you seem to ignore that it's precisely Democrats who for more than a decade now are the driving force behind bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform, and that's it's time and again a handful of Republicans who block it, proving that the GOP is too weak to get its own caucus together - EVEN when they control DC, claimed more than ever that immigration is THEIR signature issue, and put a president in the WH who can't stop talking about how horrible and extremely dangerous immigrants are.
Last spring, Democrats even agreed to vote for a version of bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform that included FULL funding of Trump's wall. Guess who flip-flopped at the very end and said no? Trump himself.
So today, the ONLY reason why there's neither a wall nor any serious strengthening of the southern border, after more than a decade of Dems insisting on this issue in DC, is Trump and the GOP.
And the GOP's candidate isn't acceptable AT ALL "to the country as a whole", remember?
The Dems are a party with no program. They need to stand for something other than cultural issues. This is a good time to start. FIND SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN. And find the middle ground while you're at it. For instance: single payer candidates didn't fare well. But medicaid expansion did.
@marrtyy
Obamacare alone saves 40,000 additional American lives a year. Soon, thanks to lots of hard work and putting country before party and personal career, the law will exist a decade. That means that thanks to the Democrats and all those who, election after election, turned out to vote for them, soon a whopping HALF A MILLION American lives will be saved.
And this kind of bills does not distinguish between political affiliation or "culture", remember?
If you still don't know what the Democrats stand for today, imho you have only one person to blame: yourself.
By the way, yesterday even red states who asked their citizens whether the Obamacare extension of Medicaid should happen in their state too, after a GOP governor or state congress blocked it for a decade now, saw their citizens answer: YES.
Obamacare has always been, from the very beginning, THE perfect "middle ground" between a GOP who wants to destroy as many people's healthcare as possible (Ryancare destroys the HC of a whopping 30 million Americans), and a clear majority in this country that wants Medicare for all or single payer. So the idea that you're coming up with today ... has been debated publicly for an entire year, in 2009, and then signed into law.
You're welcome.
Now please start informing yourself rather than falsely blaming people who do all the hard work in your place of doing nothing.
@marrtyy
They believe in a fascist socialism - they just have to hide it because the majority of Americans are opposed.
Trump may surprise everyone with his ability to work with Democrats in the House. As a populist he is neither a Republican or a Democrat. They could have many things with enough common ground like infrastructure, trade, immigration and prescription drugs to make deals. Trump actually has more in common with Democrats on these issues than he does with Republicans. And as a businessman he has a track record of dealing with people he disagrees with such as labor unions. So there is hope for the country.
1
@bill You are correct. Remember how Turmp works too. He sets absurd conditions and is confrontational, but in the end he is willing to make deals that are well off his initial position.
Dare him to veto some things.
Remember, the president does not get to work with Congress, Congress makes laws and gives them to the President to sign or note.
Bill Clinton though he was in control when elected and found out very quickly he was not. But, to his credit, he learned to work with a GOP congress. Not as a patsy, but as more an equal partner.
Some good news for Democrats - for a change. Going forward, Democrats have to realize that to win elections, they have to show up and vote - more than every four years (if that). The last Presidential election in my district had a low - disgracefully low - voter turnout. People who prioritize watching Netflix instead of going out to vote end up with DT as their (and our) President. Democrats must remember that elections have consequences not just for themselves but for their children.
1
To: RMS Seattle
I f the Democrats won't actually stand up to the interests that make the middle class and poor even poorer, then their mission is fundamentally pointless.
As long as the Democrats are financed by the rich, it won't happen
Top Contributors, Charles E Schumer 1989 - 2018
Goldman Sachs
Citigroup Inc
Paul, Weiss et al
JPMorgan Chase & Co
Credit Suisse Group
The economic interest of the owner and movers of capital is to maximize profits, not wages
As to the hold Wall Street has on the Democratic Party
" Look, with even a few mild words of reproof, Obama has lost a huge funding source from Wall Street. "
Paul Krugman, 2012, having lunch with the FT
The ONLY way for Democrats to convince the middle class that they defend its interests is to stop being financed by the rich
https://www.ft.com/content/022acf50-a4d1-11e1-9a94-00144feabdc0
3
@Woof
That's absurd.
What Democrats stand for is campaign finance reform so that unlimited amounts of money flooding the campaigns becomes totally illegal.
Until "we the people" give them the legal power to write this kind of bills into law, it's obvious that they need Big Money too in order to compete and win races.
And once they control DC, we know that they will increase wages - as by the way many wealthy DNC donors actively want them to do.
Money is neutral. It's never the problem in itself. You can be extremely wealthy and a highly moral, decent, country-loving patriot ... or the opposite. Democrats tend to attract the former kinds of wealthy donors, Republicans the latter.
In the meanwhile, anyone who analyzes the bills that the Democrats passed under Obama know that it's the Democrats and they alone who are staunch supporters of the middle class (and poor) in DC. To imagine that as long as we don't give them the legal power to sign campaign finance reform into law, something they haven't "proven" yet to be the pro middle class party is totally absurd, false, and of course counter-productive, because in this way campaign finance reform will never happen and things will only get worse.
I read a nice clarification that House, or Senate, investigations similar those of Special Counsel Mueller, are mostly for political purposes whereas Mueller's probes are for criminal findings. But I think most citizens see such parallel investigations as duplicative and wasteful. Hundreds of hours of energy, time and expense to call the same witnesses, ask nearly the same questions, and reach mostly the same conclusions, will ultimately embarrass and weaken the new Democratic House majority. Better to concentrate on "looking into corruption among cabinet officials or waste of taxpayer dollars, rather than targeting more lascivious matters, like hush-money payments to former mistresses."
3
The democratic leadership needs to focus on policy goals. They need to pass legislation from the House that broad majorities of the voters want - common sense gun control, tax and budgetary measures that reverse the gift to the .1% from last year, and renewed financial regulation are few examples. Then let the Senate and/or the presidents veto power speak for themselves.
Also some housecleaning on the Senate side: Menendez has to go. He is legally and ethically compromised. He should quietly retire and let the democratic governor of NJ appoint a replacement.
3
@Mikeweb Except they have to pass bi-partisan policies or they won't be view well by the swing voters that turned the house more purple than blue.
This I think was a warning call to both sides. Moderates who want to work across party lines civilly are the flavor of this election. Both parties need to work in their primaries in these swing districts to get moderates in the final election. And these folks, when elected, better not be party line voters, but true swing voters like the folks they represent.
Lots of great plans for the future but since there is the matter of a trillion dollar deficit it makes one wonder if anybody really expects an accountable course of action or just more vote buying.
2
@R. Koreman
Vote buying by who? If you look closely at the last 40 years of democratic vs. republican budgetary policies, the dems have been the far more repsonsible ones. Deficits have consistently gone down over the course of democratic leadership.
Even Obamacare was responsibly designed to be deficit-neutral. Trump's 10% hike in the defense dept. budget last year? Not so much.
1
@R. Koreman
Any concrete example of vote being signed into law by Democrats? Because I don't see any. And the GOP doesn't need any vote buying, as their 24/7 propaganda machine Fox News creates such an "alternative facts" world that they can even get away with doing nothing at during two years except for a huge tax cut for the wealthiest and that doubles the deficit, and its voter base still believes slogans such as "promises kept".
And it's Democrats who cut Bush's $1.4 trillion structural deficit by two thirds, remember? Whereas Obamacare actually curbs healthcare cost increases.
It's also Democrats who systematically install the pay-as-you-go rule, once they control DC, and Republicans who systematically drop it as soon as they take over.
And then we're not even talking about the fact that it's Democrats that turned Bush's -8% GDP into a record, decade-long economic and job growth, whereas such low GDPs strongly increases the deficit too.
Conclusion: the only ones knowing how to and willing to adopt "an accountable course of action" are, according to any objective standard, the Democrats. Check it out and you'll see.
1
If the democrats are smart, they will start working with Trump on things HE wants to do that the Republicans in general don’t want to do, like infrastructure. God knows we need a massive nationwide redo on our roads, highways and bridges. It is a desperate need that McConnell is totally not interested in. Imagine what an enormous jobs program could be fashioned out of a well-coordinated infrastructure initiative. This is something THE PEOPLE could really get behind, imho.
Trump promised this to the voters and the Republican Party has so far said NO. Time for the Democrats to say YES, WE CAN.
4
@Ann But it must be done in a bi-partisan way that will get large support. The GOP is not at all against an infrastructure bill, but they did not have the GOP votes for it. The freedom caucus will not vote for such a plan. A such the GOP had other priorities.
There is broad bipartisan support but you cannot pass an infrastructure bill that is funded mostly out of the federal budget. It MUST rely in large part on private investment. Folks are going to be very hesitant to spend more federal money with the debt the way it is.
You want a broadly supported bill? It must include private party incentives and any federal spending is going to have to be coupled with a budget cut in some other area. Or a budget cut and some kind of non-personal income tax increase.
Most every congressman supports an infrastructure bill, they just greatly differ on how to fund it.
A two year college degree should be required for all americans. Voters without a college degree are a serious threat to democracy and free expression
The editorial board is a sucker for "centrism". The problem is not that Dems need to move to the center. Rather they must return to their roots and explain to the vast majority of the population how the corporate state intertwined with and controlling the government is destroying the lives of average citizens through crumbling schools and infrastructure, bloated military and healthcare systems, and out-of-control banks ("financialization"). In order to do that they have to stop taking corporate money and start talking, frankly, to the people they represent with a coherent, rational statement of the problems and innovative policy proposals to address those problems. Pelosi and Hoyer have demonstrated they are not the people who can manage this effort. Both should recognize they had their kick at the can and now it is time for new leadership. Someone has to get that unruly bunch moving with great energy in the same direction.
3
@William McLaughlin
Imho, Pelosi and Hoyer have done exactly that, so any concrete examples showing the opposite ... ?
"bipartisan" Ha! Maybe the Dems should go find Lucy and get her to hold the football, again.
November 7, 2018
Sanity is the best policy especially for our governing with esteem authority to its own cause and its identity for all in House of Representatives. Surely, the matrix is more dynamic in power politics and that is to the heart and nature of politics albeit in DC or the states and localities. The America voters have created this new dynamic to be played with interest to the best in our showcasing the rights to live by laws and earned legislation. Thing will be more complex for President Trump and yet he is made for conflict and has not a second on ignoring issues that offend this agenda, be t hat as it may - for as of today his responses must be measured by votes and the idea that what is right for America is what the elected officials will hold to account - it is all about the next election and the next, and the next; on an on that we go forth for the well-being of character both domestic and internationally. As well leading by example as said in this editorial for newer generations taking on the career politician with virtuous achievements by district and for those is Washington D. C. for our Democratic Republic in truth and honor.
jja Manhattan, N.Y.
1
Investigate everything. The corrupt Republicans have colluded with the Russians, have given away our public lands for mining and drilling, have laundered money from Russia, through the NRA and more. Trump and his family have been working as money launderers and, since taking over the White House, have given away our secrets to our enemies, for private profit.
Investigate everything. I didn't spend my weekends phone-banking and canvassing so that the Democrats could play nice. I want to know everything these hustlers have been doing, and I want them to answer for it.
1
Very very good advice. The Democrats the football on their own 35; a mix of short passes and a strong running game would be well heeded. Don't be fools (Republican leadership will exploit any opening). Look to unify and gain broader support with actual attempts at governing, and avoid political shots and playing the soundbite game. We are all tired of that, regardless of party.
2
Lots of magical thinking here. The democrats will not be able to restrain themselves. It will be 2 years of subpoenas, fights, investigations and Maxine Waters acting like a buffoon.
Any high-minded ideas are going out the window. It will hurt them seriously in 2020.
1
It's notable that this editorial mentions Newt Gingrich's rush to impeach as something Democrats/liberals should avoid. I strongly believe that where we're at presently in Congress and in our national discourse has a lot to do with the GOP continuing Gingrich's style: vilifying the other side, refusal to compromise or negotiate, with partisan gain being more important than the public good. While I agree that rushing to impeach Trump would be a mistake, I fear that Democrats will once again fail by being "too nice" in the face of such monsters as McConnell and Trump; trying to show America they always play by the rules, while Republicans have no scruples whatsoever about lying, cheating, destroying institutions and the public's trust in those institutions as well. And the editors as well seem to be suggesting that Democrats play nice:
"Democrats need to be ready to make a cogent case [...] for why Mr. Trump’s taxes are a matter of critical concern."
The editors fail to realize that the GOP would never think for one second about making a case. Their only concern is winning at all costs, and any Democratic attempts at comity and trusting the system will be useless in the face of Republican adherence to Gingrich-style politics. McConnell and Trump have done enough damage. It's time to consult the book (and the Constitution) on how they can be taken out of the ballgame. This is a national emergency, not a friendly policy debate.
Democracy long ago was crippled and imprisoned by the influence of money, the drug of choice for politicians and addicts of power. Those humans failing to perceive this situation as fundamental to the death of democracy are living in a fantasy, puppets on a string....
1
Now what?
MAGA people will wait and wait for their 10% tax cut.
1
@Blue in Green
Instead of waiting, they'd better start taking a look at WHO gave them tax cuts in 2009 and 2010, and who then blocked the extension of those middle class tax cuts.
That's when they'll see that the GOP has never even been serious about real tax cuts for anybody who's not part of Wall Street wealthiest international elites.
This jumps out: "This gives Democrats the chance to press President Trump about whether he is interested in making progress on his stated goals or is a hypocrite intent on waging partisan trench warfare for the remainder of his term."
Are you kidding me?! What planet are you on? Partisan trench warfare is what the guy is all about. Making progress on stated goals doesn't even enter into the equation. Never has, never will. Please.
1
Add Adam Schiff to your roster of future leaders.
3
They took the House and seven important governorship how is thin not at least a tidal wave. Other Democrat looses in Red states were razor this. Not exactly a spigot.
YES YES YES we need to groom the party's next leaders! I do hope the Democrats demand and get trump's tax returns and will not be afraid to investigate trump. We deserve to know what he is doing!
The Board obviously doesn't realize that we are at war with Republicans - and have been - since the 90s.
Get his tax returns, provide cover for Mueller, embarrass Trump at every turn, and bring articles of impeachment. Even if the Senate won't remove.
1
First, STOP REPORTING HIS TWEETS!!! It's what he uses to manipulate press coverage, hence, what the American people hear.
Make him use normal channels to report to the American people, and apparently his own administration. They don't want to do press conferences? I'm good with that. Tired of seeing their lying faces on TV. They don't want certain members of the press to participate? Fine, support your colleagues and walk out en masse! Honestly, what's so special about being in a room with a liar?
One priority should be to remove the tax-exempt status of any church that tells its congregants how to vote.
It's a new game, a different game and the Dems need to fight for each other and for the people who elected them. This is a zero sum game and there's no more high ground left. Dems need to get their hands dirty until the Republicans have been ground into fine dust, and only then they can play nice, maybe.
Re: Gingrich in 1998: Stop fighting the last war. The next war will be won with Law & Order and the corrupt Trump behind bars.
House Bill #1...Pass legislation that stops the Blue States from having to support the Red Welfare States with our taxes. You know...just following "conservative" values.
Also....Maybe an editorial about "grace" when it comes to winning? Nancy Pelosi is the wrong woman to head the House. (I'm a strong Democrat btw.) She's too strident, She says nya nya nya when her team wins - just like the girls I knew in sixth grade. Grace works for winners too. And there is ONE House of Reps.
If it's all about DACA, DACA, DACA and RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA for them, prepare for defeat in 2020. Don't mess this opportunity up, for once.
In 2020 the GOP will be defending 23 Senate seas and the DEMs only 11. What can the Democratic Party do, both locally and nationally, to make the most of that opportunity?
Ideas please?
I believe we need a longer term strategy and this would be just the beginning. Also high priority for the next 2 years, how can we use the 7 new governors to help move state legislatures towards the DEMs? This may be critical for post-2020 census redistricting.
If not already suggested here, strengthen affordable care act. Call the Republican bluster on this to protect pre existing conditions, and necessary expansion and funding.
Revise the tax cut to benefit middleclass more. Bring back AMT for those above middle class. Define middleclass by cost of living standards. Raise minimum wage tying it to inflation.
Raise climate issue, gun control issue, ethics issue - no conflicts of interest, real or perceived, election security issue, participation issue - have a goal for all secretaries to improve participation consistently, representation issue - each citizen to get equal representation, gerrymandering issue - independent authority with equal Democratic and Republican members to draw fair lines and expand representatives if necessary, protect and strengthen CFPB, protect the agencies and the special counsel to continue their work with appropriate oversight. Independence of the judiciary requiring 2/3rd majority on all nominees (otherwise how is this branch independent, not partisan?) Renominate those who received less!
So much to do to make this fair for all of us. ALL of us.
Thank you.
Even if it cannot get passed by the Senate or, if it does, get signed into law by Trump, the Democrats in the House should pass legislation that requires every presidential candidate to disclose income tax returns for at least five years prior to the year of the election and for each year while in office. Until Trump, that had become the norm even though not required by law. Trump has shown that it needs to be required by law, as it appears norms can be ignored with impunity.
5
If the Democrats really are serious about electoral reform, and really want to put those Senate Republicans on the defensive, and really want to bring new blood into politics, they should get behind Promise No. 1 from Donald Trump's 2016 platform: "on the first day of my term of office, my administration will propose a Constitutional Amendment to impose term limits on all members of Congress."
@John Kell
Except that most of the American reject that idea, remember?
And why indeed would we want this country to be run by people who systematically lack any experience with lawmaking and political negotiations ... ?
You're seeing perfect evidence of how foolish that is right now already: Trump had no experience in political negotiations at all, and as a consequence, didn't get any bill out of Congress, even not during the only two years that his own party controlled it - and even not his number one promise, which he told us would already be achieved two years ago ...
Wikipedia:
In 36 states, state governors are subject to term limits.
In 15 states, state legislators are subject to term limits.
Recent news:
2018-Jan-15 - mclaughlinonline.com
"The results of our recently completed national survey show that voters overwhelmingly believe in implementing term limits on members of Congress. Support for term limits is broad and strong across all political, geographic and demographic groups. An overwhelming EIGHTY-TWO PERCENT of voters approve of a Constitutional Amendment that will place term limits on members of Congress. Four-in-five voters believe that it is important for President Trump to keep his promise to support term limits for members of Congress by calling on Congress to vote for term limits, the majority of voters, 54%, believe it is very important for the President to keep his promise."
2018-Nov-01 - thehill.com
"The majority of Americans support the idea of setting term limits or an age for retirement for Supreme Court justices, according to a new poll out Thursday from Fix the Court (FTC). The group, which is working to make the court more transparent and accountable, found in a new online poll conducted with PSB that SEVENTY-EIGHT PERCENT of Americans said they strongly support or somewhat support restrictions on the length of service for U.S. Supreme Court justices."
At last, some decent political analysis from the NYT, like in the good old days. Keep it up.
The Democrats definitely won yesterday, and they should enjoy today. But what they won is an opportunity. Now they need to follow through, just like this article says. Try to leverage what they have won. It can be done, there is a way. Now do it.
2
A first priority should be a bill that focuses on our nations falling and failing infrastructure.
I keep thinking of the monies that gave such big tax release to the rich and wealthy.
When I think of how much money and jobs can be had if the bridges and roads can be a priority then even more money can be made by the little guy.
As for kicking Trump out, impeaching him and otherwise, that's what a Mueller investigation to its conclusion can provide.
2
Democratic victories in the House last night send a clear signal, many Americans want to be assured that there are adults in the room running our government. Unless it becomes very obvious based on the outcomes of the Mueller probe Impeachment would appear to partisan, particularly to the many Independents who voted blue last night. Let's spend the next two years showing that there are better ways to move forward than constantly vilifying people who are different than you are. Its time to assure America that by voting for Democrats they can count on things like social security, Medicare and protections for preexisting conditions.
Although I do feel strongly that the American people have a right to know what is in Donald Trump's tax returns, we had a right to know this before he was ever elected.
2
Under the rubric of not going crazy with subpoenas, it would hurt the Dems short and long term to be seen spending precious time and resources investigating matters Mueller is or likely is investigating, like obstruction of justice.
1
It will be very difficult for the Democrats to win back the Senate in 2020, but crucial, even if a Democrat is elected President. Assuming they win Montana, which seems likely to me looking at the remaining votes, the Republicans will have 54. In 2020 they will certainly take back Alabama from Doug Jones, barring some miracle. That means they will have to gain 5 other seats to get a tie; extremely tough.
Biggest irony of this year's election: Florida just passed the felony vote ballot initiative, which if passed two years ago certainly would have changed the Senate and Gubernatorial election. With 1,000,000 former felons now eligible to vote, Florida is well within the reach of the Democrats in future elections.
1
The democratic focus nationally and at the state level should be trying to even the political landscape. The right, organized by billionaire funded lobby groups, has been focusing on political goals, not government policy goals, for decades. They have created our present situation where the democrats need to win by over six percent to break even in the House as well as favoring the GOP in state legislative districts largely by gerrymandering. At the same time they propagandize the false narrative that voter fraud is a problem (as opposed to their own fraud based campaigns), and have adopted legislation and rules in many states disenfranchising non white voters and young people.
As they have in some states, at best I expect the democrats will move to establish fair legislative districting bodies(which the GOP will undo if they get back in power). Still, republicans will continue to push to limit voting (how is it possible a sitting secretary of state in Georgia could suppress voting while running for governor?) It's tough to win a game by following the rules while your opponent cheats.
2
I am concerned that the Democrats will not be able to contain themselves and will squander their time by as Mr Nadler promised, seeking to investigate now Justice Kavanaugh and then they will try to impeach him, but first they will try to impeach Trump. It matters not that with the GOP now firmly in control of the Senate they will never convict either. And, there will be investigations galore of Trump and his business. They might finally get the Trump tax returns. But, who cares? What Americans want is a functioning government not more pointless partisan investigations. Mueller will continue to do his thing. Let him and maybe the congress can take care of the business of the this nation. Start with infrastructure. Move to cyber security and some controls over tech gone mad. Please address immigration. Be constructive in spite of what Trump might do or say. If Democrats pick the low road, Trump could be re-elected.
2
The most dispicable thing the current congress did was pass the tax reform act that beneifits the wealthy and raises the national debt. Even though there is no chance of passage through the Senate, the House should do what the republican house did during Obama years.
Vote to repeal the tax reform law. Do it every month twice a month like the GOP did with health care. Do it 50 times for the next two years. It is a statement that would be show strength on a policy position that is popular.
5
I see no mention of the emoluments clause of the Constitution. The House should investigate and if they determine that he is violating that clause, then impeach him. The emoluments clause of the Constitution is an important as every other clause.
For those Republicans that keep preaching a strict Constitutional interpretation, put them on the spot, by forcing them to defend a president violating a very clear clause, no more or no less important than their sacrosanct 2'nd amendment.
4
Lots of great comments! A wide variety of opinions but well expressed.
I wish that the national and state Democratic Party leadership would take the next 6 months to conduct town hall meetings all across the USA, to stimulate discussions like we are having today, then incorporate that into both the House agenda and their strategies for the 2020 elections.
5
@J Jencks
I like your thought, but incorporating the wishes of the citizenry into their agenda and strategies is contrary to the Democrats' obligations to their donors.
@angbob - and the GOP, just check with the Kochs, Sheldon Adelson et al. They're getting what they want.
Though the Democrats may have an extraordinarily difficult time getting some legislation through, they should remain professionally persistent in doing this, if nothing else to demonstrate their commitment to improving in the nation despite political obstacles. In addition to what was listed in the editorial, I strongly feel that the Democrats should develop a comprehensive, “new deal”-like national infrastructure plan, which could be paid for — in part — by a reduction in military spending.
3
It's telling that San Diegoans elected a criminal who will most likely be paid a salary from a prison cell. And there's nothing anyone can do about it.
It's telling that FL voted for a racist AND a known criminal.
It's telling that Iowans voted to retain a known Nazi sympathizer.
It's telling that Nevadans voted for a DEAD MAN.
Republicans are insane. They'd rather have criminals, dead people, racists and known fascists than a working republic. Still. To this very minute. Knowing what we all know about how Republicans destroy what they touch.
3
A refreshing turn of events in the House. My two cents: Pelosi keeps the speaker post, let experience lead the way. However, regarding 2020 there must be new, young leadership on the democratic presidential ticket. Too soon to tell who that might be but not too soon to say who it should NOT be: Biden, Clinton, Sanders or Warren. Please democrats don't screw up 2020.
6
@Bailey
Biden and Warren are extremely experienced and talented AND honest people.
As long as Democratic voters reject their own best and look for some absurd ideal candidate, the GOP propaganda machine will produce high voter turnout among ignorant conservatives and win, and then further destroy this country.
Do conservatives LIKE the fact that Trump is such a horrible person? Many of them don't. But they vote for him anyhow, because they believe in what they're told that his policies are.
If Democrats can't start voting on issues too, and without any star power on the ticket simply stay home, this country will continue to have the most hollow and immoral government in a very long time. And it will take decades to recover.
Sorry but Hillary was cheated out of the president see and that should not be excepted. Hilary for 2020; it’s the only right thing to do.
1
@Ana Luisa: Biden is experienced in losing.
If you include his despicable behavior in the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas hearings, I think his kind of experience I could do without. Also look at the State of Delaware vis a vis Corporate America. You may change your opinion.
Warren is solid and intellectually honest. No comparison between those two.
After Comey screwed up the 2016 elections for the Dems, the Party was basically gutted. Since then they've had inconsistent leadership and a weak overarching message. The New House includes a number of young, untested Dems who need to ease into their roles. Leadership is more important than ever and a strong Dem leader has yet to materialize. Nancy Pelosi ain't it. You make a great point. Speak softly and carry a big stick. They have to be ready to use the big stick when and as often as it is essential though in orer to ensure there is a two-party system again.
While I'm celebrating the so-called "blue wave" -- I understand, as an observer of GOP tactics, that they will do anything to consolidate power. Concerned Americans can't sit back. We have to remove them from power.
9
@Ann Traditionally, in America at least, regime change is done through elections.
While the efforts by some Democrats to erode or eliminate such quaint notions as free speech, private property, and due process may be enormously appealling to the base, most of the electorate is deeply alarmed by a shift towards socialism and identity politics.
Talk of "fundamental transformations' primarily helps Republicans. Very few members of the American middle class want the economy of Venezuela or the politics of post-Maliki Iraq.
1
@drunicusrex
FYI: as yesterday's election has just shown once again, a majority of voters knows that this Fox News fake news narrative about Democrats is just that, fake news.
Obama and the Democrats turned Bush's -8% GDP and an economy that was losing 700,000 jobs a month into a decade-long steady economic growth and the longest job creating period in more than half a century. They also cut Bush's record and structural $1.4 trillion deficit by two thirds.
Anybody who pay attention to who's doing what in DC, rather than to start imagining that it's better to watch Fox News instead, knows that it's Democrats who know how to get and maintain a solidly growing, stable capitalist economy.
Venezuela is a third world country governed by a dictator. And it's Trump, not the Democrats, who constantly praise dictators, remember?
In the meanwhile, it's Republicans too who systematically try to suppress voters and rig the game through gerrymandering. It's Republicans who instead of honoring the free press (= a fundamental pillar of any democracy and non-totalitarian republic) and all the many different opinions (and lies) that go with it, ask us to start seeing them as the "enemy" of ordinary citizens - all while passing only ONE type of bills: bills that systematically shift the wealth from American workers to Wall Street's international financial elites and the wealthiest Americans, just like what any dictatorship does.
Time to open your eyes and do some fact-checking, imho ...
When you look at the colored map, it looks pretty red like it did after 2016. Clinton's plan was the ocean states which she pretty much did until she got past Virginia. But the as nor, things got real red. In fact the Republicans picked up a couple of Senate seats There is a lot of talk about Obama care but people may have forgotten how much hostility there was before the Election in 2016, especially because of the cost increases as well as copay cost. So what will the new House do. What they say they will do is start all sorts of supennas, investigations, and demand tax returns. None of this benefits the country, especially those with a paycheck in their pockets instead of an unemployment check. They could work with him. He has the Senate and the veto. Those are two that are hard to get around. So, in two years what will they get accomplish if texcept two years of committees and suppenas, all focussed on getting even with Trump, a bombastic, self promoting, reality show host who won the election.
2
This is thoughtful, well written and can lead to measured realistic change and direction for our country. I hope the Democratic leadership reads it and takes it to heart.
1
WE, the campaign workers, won the house for you Democratic Congressmen. Please don’t screw it up this time.
3
I'd like to think this will make things better, and by better I mean that people will see the conspicuous threats to Democracy that Trump, his blind followers, and whatever that fearful mob that still calls itself the Republican party are. But I doubt it. He's not going to change, neither will his followers, and I don't think the Republicans in Congress have figured out how to undue being invertebrates.
I'm also reminded of the Will Rogers adage, "I am not a member of an organized political party. I am a Democrat." So, they'll probably screw it up. But maybe just maybe things will be different this time with Pelosi. Of course, a real patriot would step aside, and she's not going to do that.
It's probably just insanity (doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result) whispering in my ear again, setting me up like Charlie Brown trying to kick a football held by Lucy. "Madness is like gravity, all it takes is a little push," the Joker.
I hope the Democrats in Congress take this editorial to heart. This is not a time for mistakes. Restoring civility while keeping this administration accountable is a start. But they also need to reconnect with the people. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and Democrats (here is looking at you Obama) come here only for exclusive fund raisers that cost thousands of dollars per plate. They never hold a rally or meet with regular folk at a school, for example, to hear their problems or concerns. They are used to take us for granted. Taking common people for granted terribly backfired in the last presidential election. I hope Democrats learned something the last two years.
2
Above ALL else, Democtats must push global warming/climate change to the top of our agenda.
It still amazes me that we are facing a real existential threat to all of humanity worldwide and doing so little. When I read through the NYT articles I often think that our world is simply re-arranging deck chairs on this global Titanic called earth.
If we don't mitigate climate change effects it's going to be every person for themselves. You won't care about fashion, arts, sports, gerrymandering, diversity, or immigration rights. Instead, you will be looking for clean drinking water, food on the table, and surviving the wars.
Science is not red or blue. Nature doesn't care who gets hurt. We simply must stop the train wreck we are about to have. It is utter folly to ignore it.
6
@cheddarcheese Agree, completely. And it makes political sense too: I suspect that the younger people who came out to vote on Tuesday were motivated in part by climate change and the increasingly ravaged planet that they are inheriting. The Democrats have a chance to show that they are on the side of science and rationality.
2
@cheddarcheese I agree with you wholeheartedly on that, and sincerely hope Democrats put climate change policy first and foremost on the table, (among other things....) It is probably the TOP priority, given the current state of things, but people become too myopic to see the forest for the trees.
2
Oh, god. Please not dreamers first. Infrastructure, healthcare, ethics oversight, in that order, or it swings back to Republicans in the next go round.
5
@Chip
Most Republicans actually support the Dream Act, a bipartisan bill introduced more than a decade ago already, and that a handful of Republicans alone continue to block.
It's simply immoral to let 2 million American who never did anything wrong in legal limbo for years and years, when a single bill can solve the problem in a perfectly legal and bipartisan way.
Yes, the GOP will spin that into "identity politics". But they spin no matter what that Democrats do and that the American people want into one or the other false narrative, so in the end, why would it matter?
One party lies, the other governs. That is what the bottom line should be here.
Gee chip, seems dreamers, caravaners, porous borders, a pathway to citizenship sanctuary cities abolish ICE, birthright citizenship, chain migration diversity lotteries and the take care of anybody but Americans platform is what works for the left.
Here's what. The Democrats will insure Trump's reelection by agreeing to an infrastructure bill. Which will in turn allow the regressive Republicans to lard up all courts with more right wing activist judges. My advice to the Democrats is to use the Republican playbook and stand like a wall and keep Trump out of a second term. But they will do as their campaign cash donors tell them to do. So count on them losing the game they're not very good at.
3
"This gives Democrats the chance to press President Trump about whether he is interested in making progress on his stated goals or is a hypocrite intent on waging partisan trench warfare for the remainder of his term."
This is still an open question? Seriously?
Regardless of what policies or legislation the new House pursues, the single biggest mistake they can make would be to trust Donald Trump. Even with control of both houses and the Supreme Court he was incapable of accomplishing anything that was not, at its core, destructive. Why in the world would the Democratic House waste even a moment of precious time trying to negotiate with a president whose entire agenda rests firmly on deception and hypocrisy?
The House does not need, not should it solicit, Donald Trump's cooperation or approval on anything it does. As it is he's already threatened retaliation if they pursue any investigation of his personal or business activities; not what I'd called a good start to a "cooperative" relationship.
The House needs to move forward with an immigration policy, an infrastructure proposal, a reinforcement of the ACA, and strong, legitimate investigations into Donald Trump's presidency and possible violations of the constitution, including an examination of his tax returns.
His cooperation in these matters must be entirely irrelevant.
No immigration reform is possible till the democrats have established complete control over the white house and congress. It can only happen with demographic changes in california, texas, georgia and florida
Once again, Nancy Pelosi saved Obamacare. Studies show that the law saves an additional 40,000 American lives a year. That means that soon (= a decade after going into effect), thanks to Pelosi and the Democrats and the millions of Americans voting for them, a whopping half a million American lives will have been saved (and many of them without any doubt Republicans).
It's Pelosi's signature achievement (both passing it, and then for a decade successfully defending it against GOP attacks). Even if somehow in the future the GOP would pass Ryancare (which destroys the healthcare of 30 million Americans), and even knowing that the GOP's tax cuts for the wealthy also destroy the healthcare of 13 million Americans, those half a million lives saved will be something she and ANY American who voted for her or for the Democrats, may be tremendously proud of.
That being said, the GOP and Fox News have now created an "alternative facts" world for their voters, where achieving something in DC that benefits America no longer matters. They passed only ONE major piece of legislation in the only two years that Trump will have controlled DC, and it's a deficit-doubling tax cut for the wealthiest Americans. That's it. Nothing on immigration (some executive PR stunts of course, but no legislation), nothing on HC, nothing on energy, infrastructure, campaign finance, voter rights. Nothing.
That means that merely calling them out and debunking their lies is no longer enough, as media.
1/2
The media urgently need a new strategy in order to fight back against the tremendous damage Fox News is doing to the media landscape in the US, and as a consequence to democratic accountability in DC.
The Dems will continue to fight in a dignified, strong, fact-based way, but what the last elections have shown is that that is no longer enough to see the policies that a vast majority in this country wants signed into law.
We NEED a strong media answer too.
It's almost impossible to reach GOP voters once they systematically watch Fox News. But what should be possible - and is the only available way to fight back - is to finally inform the other 65% of how a democracy works, what lawmakers do, how progress is achieved, and why voting is extremely important.
THAT is the information that half of the American people still don't have access to, and a political party alone cannot possibly provide it.
The only way for the serious media to fight back against Fox News, is to attack the cynicism on the left, in other words, the ignorance among voters who agree on most issues with Democrats (or want to go further than that).
Remember 24/7, in all your articles, how just one more Democratic Senator here or 10,000 votes there would have resulted in a law that reflects the will of the American people and would have truly improved things. Focus on process rather than the stardom of individual candidates, and on results for citizens rather than for the careers of politicians, etc.
Pelosi deserved one more term -- for intestinal fortitude, entertainment value (Trump v. Pelosi will be an all time great spectacle) amd TO GROOM A SUCCESSOR.
Dana rohrabacher was defeated in california. It was a big win for democrats. They got very close to winning other key races
3
To quote Will Rogers:
“I’m not a member of an organized political party, I’m a Democrat.”
Unfortunately, Dems can have an agenda that is not organized an often not presented with clarity. Example: The ACA actually was a reasonable start to heath care, vilified by the GOP, and Dems missed the boat in the propaganda war even though the majority of people preferred the ACA’s basic tenets.
The GOP is more akin to the Borg…one hive mind doing everything in lock step drumming away to keep the Dems off track and reactive. (with Trump as the Borg “queen” now.)
The Dems should treat the GOP with the same respect they were given…but, any poorly organized attempts at investigations and subpoenas will backfire as the GOP propaganda is so good at reflecting such back on the Dems.
1
Democrats need to show primarily that they can govern wisely and not go off the rails. If they can rack up legislative accomplishments they will be well positioned for 2020. Having food fights with Mitch McConnell and Trump will merely waste cycles and lead to nothing but more gridlock.
1
"Many Trump-hating Democrats might be in the mood for payback..."
Maybe, but most of us Trump-haters are in the mood for justice. Trump and his family have openly and arrogantly evaded the law, most obviously Don Jr's meeting with Russian operatives, Trump's fraudulent letter that tried to explain the meeting away, and Trump's blatant obstruction of justice in firing James Comey. Less obviously, there are more impeachable offenses that will easily be exposed with prompt and thorough investigation, including evidence from Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort, and less visible players like Trump's former accountant.
The Trump-hate is intensified by the fact that he should not be in office in the first place. The Electoral College forced Trump on us over our explicit objection.
Agreeably, Democrats' priorities should be to "restore some sanity to American politics". That has to start with the restoration of justice and democracy.
1
You write, “After 16 years as the House Democratic leader, Ms. Pelosi comes with a truckload of baggage, and a growing contingent within her own party feels it is time for a generational overhaul.”
No, there will be no baggage; just peachy light-weight fun. It will be business as usual under Pelosi or any other Democratic left-winger: Object, obstruct, obfuscate, refuse, reject and resist.
Enough fodder for a fearless warrior to run on, run against and run down successfully in 2020.
The Democrats Won the House. Now What? They Lose it in 2020.
One factor that Democrats (and national media outlets) need to consider, and probably do not wish to consider, is the rise of a propaganda media machine on the Right. Take a look at who was on stage with Trump at his rally the night before the mid-terms. Fox has become Pravda. Much as Democrats are reluctant to admit the fact, they have to consider how their proposals and actions from House committees are going to be distorted and twisted by Limbaugh, Hannity, Carlson, Pirro and others. That is now the role of these so called 'media' outlets. These people have an tremendous megaphone, they have large followings, especially in rural areas that have few alternatives for authentic news, and they have eagerly become the national cheerleaders for Trump's corrupt Administration. Like it or not, this distortion is a factor. Regardless of their message, Democrats will continue to hear they don't have a message. Regardless of their consideration and respect for the hardworking people in the heartland of America, those same people will continually be told that Democrats think their dumb. This needs to be addressed by knocking on doors in rural states as it is impossible to out shout the Right wing megaphone.
One of the things that REALLY needs to be addressed by Democrats is the voting system at large. We need to do away with all computer-related equipment across the nation. We need all votes to be transparent, with a clear paper trail, (a record that can be cross-checked.) People don't realize how easily voting machines can be hacked, and also how quickly the tide can turn from one candidate to the next. (We already know in Texas there were many irregularities with Beto vs. Cruz, as just one case in point.) Here's a very relevant article on the topic of how easily an election can be hacked, one that I hope all NYT readers will take time to read: https://www.gq.com/story/how-to-hack-an-election It's longish, but very worth one's time--education is key here for making sure our representatives make changes where changes need to be made the most. (And of course gerrymandering and voter suppression are part of the problem, as well.)
With 2020 in his sights, Trump now has the perfect foil for any failing of his administration: the Democratic House. How much richer that Nancy Pelosi, a favored target of right wing hysteria and lies, will likely be Speaker. Democrats now have quite the balancing act. They must hold Trump et al. accountable where evidence points to corrupt and illegal conduct. They must also pass legislation that reflects, in simple terms, what the vast majority of Americans want from Congress. The heirs of the Confederacy in the Senate and their wannabe dictator in the White House will veto any House legislation - but at least 2020 voters won’t be able to pretend the party of Trump cares about them or their interests.
I am disgusted by 'the rurals' of a country who so 'favor' the likes of Hawley and Cruz -- to name but two self-aggrandizing liars -- and, apparently, McSalley (to name but one more of the 'many same').
I am at least as disgusted by electorates that gave favor to DeSantis and (apparently) to Kemp.
I am, however, 'heartened' by the expectation that, with the 'aid' of 1.5 million 'former felons' who have been newly enfranchised in Florida -- 'including' 40% of Florida's "black" men -- DeSantis and (if necessary) Scott could be re-called!
"Tear down this wall, President Trump!"
Peace in our time (in these United States).
What is the wall between rural America and its cities all about? Why are we in the midst of a "Cold Civil War"?
People divided fall - who benefits most from a people who are fighting amongst themselves, and who benefits most if they become more united?
Background checks and mental health standards for community safety vis a vis gun control would seem to be a good starting point.
Allowing the Dreamers to stay in the country without fear is another good place to begin the process of working together.
Rebuilding the United States of America infrastructure is a huge winner - its all about jobs and safety. Another place to engage with each other, and work for our future in a positive way.
Last night brought some opportunity to this nation: either the Republicans or the Democrats can squander it, or use it to repudiate our internal strife.
Whose move is it?
1
Welcome to nov 7 2020. lucky if Dems hold this edge. Move center/right ( hint starts with a 2 ) or risk EXACT same scenario as this morning and only winners are advertising companies and consultants.
@Randall Brown
If Democrats move rightward, they will become even more Republican than they are now, giving more people a reason to omit voting.
Agreed on all counts but frustrated that, once again, the Democrats are forced to be the adults in the room. Surely, if the roles were reversed and we had a Democrat as president and an incoming GOP House, "wilding" as you call it, would definitely ensue. Wait, that's pretty much Obama's second term...
1
The Democrats won't be able to pass any legislation but they need to think about what they want to run on in 2020. It should not be impeachment or they will lose. They should first address voting rights in this country. How about the first proposal being vote by mail for all national elections. Let the Republicans knock this one down. Then they must go full force for health care - start with the single health care issue of requiring all health care policies to cover preexisting conditions - the Dems won on this issue, and again let the Republicans vote it down. For immigration they should propose E-verify for employers with substantial fines for hiring undocumented workers. Again, let the Republicans knock this one down. The Democrats need to do simple issues not complex solutions so that they can have the one liners in 2020 - about what Republicans blocked. And last but not least, given the trend in this country - let them propose legalization of marijuana. Let the Republicans in the Senate vote this down as well.
5
Trump and the GOP have the same goal as always: win the next election. They are about control, not governing for the people.
Whatever the Democratic controlled House does, it must also focus on winning in 2020. Any investigations undertaken should contemplate how those investigations will impact on Democrats' prospects in the next election.
Further, those Republicans who have retained House seats are more conservative than many who lost. There is no reason to believe the GOP will seek to work with Democrats unless they calculate it will enhance their prospects in 2020. In effect, just as evaluating Trump's behavior is best accomplished by trying to understand how he believes his behavior in any instance enhances his interests the same, that is the best way to evaluate GOP behavior. In both cases, those interests are gaining or retaining power not about what his best for the most Americans.
Notwithstanding, however, the big wild card is what will Trump do with Sessions, Rosenstein, and Mueller. If Mueller is removed, House Democrats must act strongly and promptly.
1
@M.i. Estner Agree with your points, though I don't think Mueller will be removed. He's a ceramic warhead on a cruise missile. BTW: can't imagine the level of traffic in Wayland now; used to visit a girlfriend there in the late '80s (traffic was almost nonexistent then).
It seems to me the most effective pathway for the Democrats would be to pass legislation in the House that has broad popular support (health care, DACA, infrastructure) and let the obstructionist Republicans in the Senate or the White House be the ones to say "no" over and over. Show the public that the Republicans have the interests of their wealthy donors, not ordinary people, foremost in their minds. Investigations of Trump's corruption should be surgical and strategic, not broad brush and inflammatory. Learn from the Kavanaugh debacle. Being right is not the same thing as being politically effective. Most people like the policies of the Democrats but they can't win in 2020 if they don't play the political game strategically. Trump and McConnell are masters of the game and that is how they keep winning.
1
@MM
It depends on what you call "the political game".
In its most important sense, that "game" is about lawmaking and improving things for the American people. Obama, Reid, Pelosi and Schumer have achieved MUCH more legislative victories than the GOP during the last decade, including the two Trump years, so it's without any doubt Democrats who know how to write serious, fact-based bills, and then get them through Congress (or defend them against GOP attacks).
In its more cynical sense, "the political game" can also refer to political campaigns designed to win elections. If you look at the fact that they didn't achieve ANYTHING of what they promised to achieve on Capitol Hill, by working with the WH, in the last two years, in a thriving democracy the 2018 elections should have been a shellacking for the GOP.
Instead, the GOP invented a totally new way of campaigning. Or rather, it decided to no longer do anything in DC but campaigning. And of course, that would never succeed without a gigantic propaganda machine, that tells its voter base 24/7 the most horrible lies, which GOP politicians then take over and vice versa, resulting in the creating of a complete "alternative facts" world. THAT is how almost half of the American people still voted for the GOP today.
To fight back against this lie-producing machine, you NEED the media on board, as this is in the first place a media war. The media have to find a new way to inform citizens, so that people know they HAVE to vote.
Two big takeaways from tonight:
1) The Dems have pretty much gotten as far as they can go at this point by focusing on the, let's call it, "Trump Rhetoric" card. That will flip well-educated suburban districts (and it did last night), but calling Trump out for his outrageous statements isn't going to have any more of an impact on the rest of his voters.
2) With that in mind, Dems received a political gift last night in terms of new information: deep-Red states voting decisively for extremely un-Republican ballot measures. Few could have imagined five years ago that Idaho, Nebraska, and Utah would be expanding Medicaid coverage under the ACA. We also now know that Arkansas and Missouri want to raise the minimum wage after voting Red. THESE are the issues Dems should be focusing on in these states, rather than the Trump effect. People want to be guaranteed healthcare, a living wage, and dignity in their lives, and don't really seem to care which party is going to give them those things. Setting a clear agenda in terms of policy that people are in favor of will help appeal to Red-state voters far more than trying to tell them to vote for Democrats because Trump is a racist.
3
@Edo
I strongly agree. Screaming "I hate Trump!" doesn't pay the hospital.
In a word, "Issues!". How many Democrat honchos understand that?
You are correct on all counts. Last night's victories were a start, but we still have a long way to go to check Trump and the feckless GOP. Nancy Pelosi is the right person to lead the House-no one knows the political game better than she does, and this is no time for a newbie to take over. In spite of Democratic wins, the most disappointing aspect of politics right now is the vast number of Americans who have fallen for Trump's ugly rhetoric and who vote out of fear. The Democrats will need a truly tough, charismatic and unifying candidate for president. Maybe it is time for a bipartisan ticket...it may be the only way to bring us together again.
2
@CJ
There is an alternative: we finally accept that a government for the people is a government by the people, which means candidates who are just like you and me, rather than extremely charismatic, exceptionally eloquent/beautiful/young candidates which make us vote for them because we'd actually like to be like them.
As to bipartisan: that's only possible when you have at least two serious political parties. The GOP today is entirely based on lying and cheating, all while accomplishing nothing on Capitol Hill and selling the country out to Wall Street and its international elites in the White House.
I'm all for working together with the GOP under Trump IF that means improving things for the American people (if for instance Trump accepts to increase subsidies for the last 20 million Americans who still can't afford health insurance, Democrats should accept this, because it saves too many lives to think about winning elections first here).
But a bipartisan ticket ... ? Why would you ever want to reward a party that is destroying America to this extent ... ?
Agree sort of. But remember this is a two-way street. The Dems should be strategic, of course, but what if Trump doubles down and accelerates his attacks on our institutions? This is a likely scenario. Sometimes offense is the best defense and everything is fair game, particularly trumps tax returns and business conflicts of interest. Fool me once etc.
1
I was a Dem for fifty years and even I can see the Russiagate Conspiracy Theory is just as absurd as Birtherism was - yet people I once thought intelligent buy it hook, line, and sinker. My fear is now that the Dems have won the house, all the Real problems of the sinking middle class go unanswered yet again as they froth about RussiaRussiaRussia! and mount hearing after impeachment after hearing. A lot of people, including former Dems, are SICK of nothing being done. Medical costs are insane. College costs are insane. Housing costs are insane. And weak wages have not caught up. Putin won't pay my rent. Will the Dems address these or bray TRUMPRUSSIA for two more years? We know the answer.
1
Senate and House leaders are usually unpleasant and rarely likeable, but highly effective. I doubt the Trump base has any special sentimentality for McConnell, for example.
But this is HUGE! Pelosi ain't signing off on any budget unless Donald makes some decent concessions. Plus-Obamacare as we know it-----Safe!
1
Regarding the ACA, I would like to see this taken a step further toward single payer. A pipe dream, perhaps, but I do think it’s something that we really need; healthcare is simply too important.
Oh, don’t forget they will keep funding the war. No decision there.
1
A Trump activity that has deserved attention from an oversight committee is the breaking of the Emoluments Clauses. That this is a violation of the Constitution it should have been a bipartisan investigation earlier. It is ridiculous that it is lawsuits performing this oversight function.
The agenda described in the article is a needed agenda. It will be refreshing to see an agenda that is good for America be pursued for a change.
1
Sometimes, you get what you need.
2
Interesting how the assumption always is that Democrats will blow it. This despite Democrats managing to pass health care legislation. After Democrats mired in a hostile Congress managed a compromise on the Dreamers and Trump’s crazy wall only to have him back out at the last minute. And how is it that Americans will be wary of political gamesmanship when it is perceived to be played by Democrats but have no problem with Mitch McConnell’s flagrant distortion of democratic norms and the outrageous behavior of Devin Nunes.?
As for tired leadership, Democrats will have no choice but to begin grooming new young diverse leadership because that describes the caucus. To throw out experience at this most fraught period would be crazy, however. Take it slow.
Democrats have a very easy roadmap. Pass legislation the American people have been asking for and let Republicans obstruct it in the Senate. Infrastructure. Shore up Obamacare. Secure a future for Dreamers. Move toward more extensive immigration reform. Maybe even shore up the declining trust in elections by repairing the damage done by the Republican Supreme Court’s rulings on unlimited dark money flowing into campaigns and gutting Voting Rights Act.
Despite pundits inclination to denigrate all things Democratic, the Party has been building a coalition that looks like the American population and it is beginning to bear fruit.
1
The Editorial Board provides wise counsel but I feel that the Democratic leadership in the House should pay attention to the important broadly defined national security issues and use their first year to define the issues and educate ALL Americans on the issues and the alternatives.
One of these crucially important issues is the existential threat to humankind and civilization posed by the rapidly increasing threat of global warming.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/24/climate/global-warming-carbon-removal...
Solutions must be identified and tested and the U.S. must give special attention to an international effort that the U.S. should make and the kind of organization(s) that should have the responsibility to fund, research, test, and compete for solutions to reduce the greenhouse emissions that have built up in the atmosphere. Sort of like preplanning for peace at the end of WWII like the discussions at Dumbarton Oaks and Bretton Woods.
Eliminating the threat of climate change will not be easy because it will mean divorcing the global economy from coal, oil, and natural gas in an intelligent manner that will not be economically disruptive to the steadily improving global standard of living.
The Democratic Leadership must use the power of the purse authority held by the House in the Constitution to carefully, thoughtfully, and creatively provide the inclusive deliberations on this issue that will determine the future of the U.S. and the World's civilizations.
4
@james jordan
This link works. If you have not read this article, it is excellent and worth your time.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/24/climate/global-warming-carbon-removal.html
At long last, it’s Mueller Time.
Seriously.
2
I’m so relieved the Democrats regained control of the House. And I’m sad of course that Republicans maintained their majority in the Senate. But I am completely crushed and dejected by the defeat of Andrew Gillum in Florida, Beto O’Rourke in Texas, and (most likely) Stacey Abrams in Georgia. Racism was the clear winner in both of the FL and GA gubernatorial contests which means that Donald Trump’s clarion call was heard and answered by his malevolent minions. Right now I’m not so sure about 2020. But what I do know is that celebrity endorsements do not seem to help Democratic candidates. So I hope these shining stars will not appear during the next presidential race.
3
Tightening ethics laws and shoring up the integrity of our electoral system have bipartisan support? What world have you been living in NYTimes? If that was true there would have been changes in 2016.
1
More of the same. The faces/labels change, the gridlock remains. Today is no different from yesterday, regardless of which party-affilation is attached to the DC area parasites.
1
Repeal the Second Amendment and replace it with an amendment giving Congress the power to regulate the ownership, possession, and use of firearms. That will eliminate the “right to bear arms” and will permit our legislators to instead promulgate common-sense laws that puts the public safety and welfare first, not firearms possession.
The next mass-shooting is truly any day now. Be proactive for the good of the American people.
1
I'm going to echo abigail49 from Georgia:
First job, neutralize the immigration issue before 2020. How? Pass a bill making E-Verify mandatory for all employers with necessary funding to make the system work, monitor and enforce. Put Senate Republicans on the defensive. Shift focus away from border to boardrooms. The main concern of anti-immigration voters is illegals taking jobs. E-Verify targets that concern.
I would add to what she said that this should be part of any legislation to legalizing the dreamers.
3
It was the shrillness of the left wing of the Democrat party that destroyed the civility in American politics. It is the push to turn America into a social welfare state by the Democrat party that is opposed by many of it's citizens that create the friction.
1
@wes evans
Social Security has 80%+ approval ratings and MediCare follows very closely behind. MedicAid expansion was on the ballot in 3 Red States and won. Americans approve of the “social welfare state” by large margins.
Cynically:
Trump deftly avoided impeachment by retaining the senate. That was the only issue he really cared about and why he focused so hard on those races.
2
Democrats are milquetoast wimps while republicans are all firebrand instigators. You can't get people energized enough to go to the polls with nuance and moderation.
If dems ever want to defeat the almost complete control of the country by republicans they're going to need to offer carrots and talk about trends like slowing immigration and fighting corruption which is at record highs. They also need to start talking about term limits for scotus and pie in the sky stuff to mobilize their lackluster support.
The House does not have much power without the Senate and Executive Branch. McConnell will obstruct everything they try to do if he can and Trump will veto everything he can. Whatever the House has the power to do, they should do it quickly and methodically. They have two years. Make every day count. Hopefully Mueller's report comes out now and that will lead their way. The senate is still unlikely to convict unless the evidence is overwhelming. If their base doesn't care that the president is a criminal, the senate may continue to ignore the charges. Trump may fire Mueller and kill the investigation before January, when the Dems are sworn in. Then it would be up to the Dems to complete their investigations and impeach based on the evidence. It should all be done as transparently as possible on live tv although I am sure the Repubs will try to block any and everything they try to do. I think Pelosi will know what is doable and what is a waste of precious time. Two years; make it count.
1
Time for Pelosi to step aside. I don't think she will, but she should. Time for an end to the identity politics. Leave that to the white nationalists. But fighting over which bathrooms to use is a losing cause, no doubt about that. Time for the Democrats to stop being the party of coastal elitism who consider those of us -- their supporters! -- in the rest of the country to be backwards. They need to do the work of leading America and not just fighting Trump (though blocking his worst impulses is needed of course). Guarantee voting rights. Stop rewarding the rich. Fight climate change. Ensure health care.
The Party’s next leaders have already been “groomed”. It’s time for Leader Pelosi to step aside or be challenged.
"Don't go crazy with the Subpoenas?" Excuse me, but we've just endured two long years of extremely unethical and corrupt behavior from this guy and his cronies. Please, subpeona away!
1
I'm pretty sure that the Democratic Party has already given great thought as to how they will proceed.
However, as a member of the still-free press, the first thing you and your colleagues need to do is REMEMBER the fear, hate, and other divisiveness that Republicans have used for decades and, especially, under Trump's tutelage. The last thing I want to start reading in major newspapers is baloney false equivalencies made between Dems and GOPs.
The country has a chance to start crawling out of this mess. We don't need major media outlets driving us backwards just to gin up ratings and advertisers.
1
After an evening where women have won over 100 Congressional seats I find this statement odd, "... such up and comers as Cheri Bustos, Hakeem Jeffries, Linda Sánchez, Ruben Gallego, Joseph Kennedy III, Ben Ray Luján, Eric Swalwell and Seth Moulton, among others." Seems to me there are a lot more women looking like up and comers than the writer indicates.
Now What?
Investigate the integrity of the voting machines.
Get rid of the obsolete Democratic Leadership.
Find someone who can beat Trump.
Before 2020. Miss just one and it's all over.
1
I want to see Democratic-sponsored bills on healthcare, strengthening Medicare/Social Security/Medicaid, infrastructure, education, campaign finance reform, gun control, ethics, and on and on. To do all this, we need to eliminate tax breaks for corporations and the rich. And if these things can be done while giving McConnell or Trump a bloody nose, all the better.
When your GOP opponents are so vile, Obama-style manners no longer work. Just ask Merrick Garland or the hordes of citizens disenfranchised through voter suppression or gerrymandering.
Democrats should save their cIvility for their constituents. If Republicans want to gain re-entry to the normal world, they should be the ones to reach across the aisle and seek forgiveness.
I would urge all those newly elected Dems to get their act together and have a plan and message to the American people.
The 72-year old petulant child in the Oval Office will keep dividing our country via seating on the toilets and tweeting.
Do not have to respond to Dotard's every tweet but have a game plan and a message PLEASE...
Playing nice has rarely benefited the Dems. It comes across as weak. Subpoena and investigate!
How exactly is the young Democratic bench supposed to get "experience", if they are never called to bat?
Why is no one talking about the obvious? Working to end “Citizens United” - which allows people (called corporations) to give seemingly unlimited funds to political campaigns, thus buying us the worst lying offensive lowlives money can buy!
2
Democrats should take as a given that Trump is very popular in rural, white America and will remain so regardless of what they--and the mainstream media--do or say.
Democrats should turn their attention to the individual states and focus on turning the purple states blue. The most effective way to do this is through ballot initiatives on such progressive measures as: decriminalizing marijuana, raising the minimum wage, preventing LGBT discrimination, gun control measures, green energy mandates, preventing gerrymandering, making it easier to vote, prison reform, and the like.
Democrats should use the success of the gay marriage movement as a model. Ballot initiatives on gay rights both brought out the vote and demonstrated the lack of support for the conservative/Republican stance on the issue. When it's given an opportunity, democracy can actually work. We should try it.
Not once was climate change mentioned in this article — a trend I hope our congress does not follow. Unpopular a subject though it might be, young Americans are desperate for someone in government to be talking about global warming. No ground will be gained on the issue with Trump in office, but democrats need to at least be laying the infrastructure for a serious nationwide conversation about climate destabilization in 2020. It is far more urgent than any political game on the agenda.
3
Waking up this morning, the cold reality set in:
Another 2 years will go by before we have a remote chance at passing meaningful environmental legislation.
That's the takeaway from last night.
2
I would also like more attention on how many governor seats flipped Blue- especially here in the upper midwest and how important that is. Governors control state budget priorities and also make a big difference in shoring up voting rights.
2
The Dems need to get their act together in terms of leadership and a vision fo rate country. Being anti-Trump will not enable them to improve their standing; in fact it failed to enable a win in the Senate.
Ms. Pelosi lacks the ability define and lead the Dems in the House into the next several election cycles; without an ability engage what are now red districts the Dems will be a one-election wonder. It's the same for the Senate. Chucky needs to step aside and let those with more engaging ideas take the reins.
Democrats of course need to be a check and balance on the White House, but can we please not spend the next two years focused on investigating and hating on Trump? Prioritize discussing issues and crafting policy solutions, and drive clear and concise messaging to communicate a policy platform. All things Trump previously claimed he would do, call his bluff on: Infrastructure, prescription drug prices, sure up SS and Medicare, wider middle class tax cuts, pre existing condition protections, etc to name a few. This is the path to building Democratic equity for 2020, and who knows, maybe actually getting one of these policies passed.
In contrast, a disproportionate focus on daily overreactions and freak outs to every little thing Trump says will not help Democrats in 2020.
3
The Democrats didn't win the House, the Republicans lost it. They needed to fix the broken immigration system, even if it meant shutting the government down to force some Democrats to break ranks with their party leadership. A compromise would have been fine but it needed teeth for enforcement and enforcement had to come first. The Republicans needed to come up with a fix for health insurance especially for those people who lost their health insurance because of Obama Care and now have pre-existing conditions. The Republican tax break should have been much more weighted to the poor and middle class, families and individuals earning under $150,000 a year. Unfortunately, the Democrats will ask for amnesty for Dreamers and their families but no effective enforcement or change to chain migration or anchor babies. They will offer tax credits for the poor but no tax breaks to the middle class. They will urge spending on government supported housing and food stamps turning a blind eye to fraud. They will offer more money for health care without consideration to the costs. In 2016, Trump didn't win, the Democrats lost. Yesterday, the Democrats didn't win the House, the Republicans lost it.
3
@Mike
And you somehow don't find it curious that only NOW, on the eve of the midterm elections -- after giving the über-wealthy upper 1% the tax cuts they don't actually need or deserve, this president is finally talking about tax cuts for the middle-class? And is suddenly even offering better healthcare options as well?
Another thing.
In 2016, Trump didn't win. America lost.
And the Democrats just won the House and other state and local elections for that reason.
2
The Democrats need to address immigration. If they say, "We've reviewed the current laws that are a product of years of compromise and they are good", then they need to see them enforced. If the laws need changing this is an opportunity to work with Trump and Republicans to get something done in that regard, get the false narrative of "open borders" off their backs, and can use it as leverage to advance other goals such as the health care, election reform, and infrastructure.
The Democrats need to address the so-called tax reform that permently benefited a few while others got a tempoary reprive. At best. They should have campaigned hard on what the cost of the current package is to millions of Americans. And it is a cost to millions who no longer can deduct the full amount of taxes and mortgage interest where the Republicans reneged on the social contract that has existed for generations. Force Trump to fulfill his middle class tax relief promise.
2
Following street fighter advice like Emanuel's is not a good move for Democrats. They need to build up better abilities to respond to street fighters effectively without becoming street fighters themselves.
For example, the "divide and conquer" strategy can be done in street-fighter style, where the other party is "other", the enemy, and so, a group of people whose welfare can be sacrificed for your side's gains.
Or it can be done in a style that rises above, and doesn't treat the other party as "other" but as another subgroup of us, a subgroup whose ill-will toward the rest of us is a problem to be solved.
A high road solution will treat them with respect. It will offer them gifts. It will "divide" only in the sense of separating out the ill-will, and the bad actors from the rest. It will aim for reunification, not destruction.
The Democrats should come to rural and rust belt America bearing gifts. In doing so, they will undermine the grounds, currently quite legitimate, that rural and rust belt Americans have for thinking that the Democrats are big-city urbanites whose policies, or deafness, has left these Americans with hobbled economies and little opportunity for respectful employment and local economic growth.
The high road way to "divide" is to do better for the common person than the other guy.
2
The Editorial Board has recently tried to be a voice of moderation. This can't hurt since there will be so many advocating a more openly adversarial approach. But there's one obvious tactical misstep. No one except Party insiders will advocate or accept the idea that Nancy Pelosi can't be replaced. In fact, the sooner a new leader is chosen the better (the "transition" should be a matter of months) She can now leave the post on a high note. She can still contribute enormously to Congress and the Party.
2
Why should Nancy Pelosi step down? She can’t be beat. It wasn’t Pelosi‘s fault or Hillary‘s fault that the Democrats lost in 2016. It was the people that are pointing fingers at Pelosi and Hillary that lost it for the Democrats. It’s their people that didn’t show up, and some of them even voted for Trump just to spite the Democrats. It was their impetuous behavior. Their insistence on having their way, though their boy lost by 4 million votes. They screamed fraud and acted more like Trump Republicans. Nancy Pelosi should step aside for them. I thinks not!
1
The first thing Democrats should do with investigations is end everything Devin Nunes ever started. Sham investigations do not become us. We don't need Congress attempting to intimidate the FBI.
Next on the list is obviously protecting Robert Mueller. Jeff Sessions and Rod Rosenstein might not be around forever. The House can take steps to reinforce Mueller's independence from the White House.
These are simple, practical measures that will fork Senate Republicans. Rock meet hard place. Mueller might ultimately turn up nothing. However, he's knocking on Roger Stone's door right now. I doubt "nothing" is the right way to describe Mueller's eventual report.
The key is to avoid a Benghazi repeat without shying away from rigorous investigation. Democrats need to act slowly and deliberately. They should outsource at every possible opportunity. Politicians do not make good investigators.
I would love to see Trump's tax returns. However, consider this: Robert Mueller probably already has them. He can subpoena the IRS without ever informing Trump or his lawyers. Who would you rather handle Trump's financial information, Robert Mueller or Nancy Pelosi? I think the answer is self-evident.
11
Consider innovation from the Democratic controlled House:
Million Dollar Pivot: Family wealth is the key to success and the goal of tax policy should be to help every family acquire assets of one million dollars over a lifetime. This can be done by taxing wealth and income inversely so that low wealth families elect to pay a wealth tax (with $500,000 per person exemption) in exchange for lower income and payroll taxes. Families that see their net worth grow from year to year will feel good about their taxes and the government.
Health Care Compromise: Innovative medication is the key to future health management and cures. Free (government paid) medication, monitored and renewed by cost effective nurse practitioners, can leave health insurance to manage hospital care and specialized doctor services - (big ticket items that many never need and a few need quite a bit). Health insurance premiums should be adjusted by family wealth and subsidized for families with less than one million dollars in net assets.
Infrastructure: While bridges and tunnels need to be maintained, these are local, state, and regional issues that does not require the involvement of the federal government and the pork barrel politics that it brings. The mounting federal debt and the need for comprehensive health care suggests restraint.
Immigration: Give Trump funding for the wall and he will compromise on the rest - especially with the low rate of unemployment.
1
@Eugene Patrick Devany - I think some sort of "compromise" would go a long way to disarm Trump and the GOP. Support the Dreamers while also instituting more rigorous controls over new entries.
Come 2020 Trump and the GOP would have lost one of their favorite campaign issues.
1
Unlike the farce of the Benghazi "investigation," the Democrats have guilty pleas and indictments coming out of Mr. Mueller's investigation. There is little doubt that money laundering, aid from Russia, and obstruction of justice are but the tip of the iceberg that is trump's criminality. Calls for the Democrats to play nice are laughable. The truth shall see the light of day.
The only thing the GOP could accomplish in the past two years was massive tax cuts for the wealthiest, fear mongering, and race baiting. They want nothing more than to make draconian cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, while stripping health care from millions.
The way forward is to call for protecting the social safety net, massive infrastructure projects, ethical immigration reform (with the onus on employers who break the law), and environmental policies to save the planet. Remind young voters that the New Deal, Clean Air and Water, Voting Rights, and Civil Rights have always been the Democrats' bread and butter. May the young, and all concerned citizens not poisoned by Fox propaganda, sweep trumpism to the dust bin of history, where it belongs.
5
Something to consider is how so many new members of the House will deal with a new job and colleagues who have diverse interests. Some of these candidates do think that they are going to change the world but they have not had the experience of having to negotiate with others in their party and across the aisle to accomplish anything. Once they do can they work together or will they become contentious and basically impotent?
Lots of good thoughts in the comments and the editorials. But mostly this is short term stuff, what should the 2018 House do for its legislative agenda.
Looking farther out, I believe the DEMs need to put some extra focus in capturing state legislatures in 2020. This combined with the 7 new DEM governorships, would give them a chance to reduce the gerrymandering after the 2020 census.
That would be a way to make some real, lasting change.
1
With a few exceptions (such as the comment about Merrick Garland), this editorial gets it right. We now have bipartisan rule, and statehouses have moved towards the left.
Welcome to the pendulum of politics. The Democrats, like the Republicans, must not overplay their hand, and should work towards the compromise that will enable the country to move forward.
Both parties should remember there is a Presidential election in two years. If the Democrats but up a candidate too far to the left (Senators Killibrand and to a lesser extent Warren come to mind) they will likely lose, the recently empowered women’s vote notwithstanding. A more centrist candidate, of either gender, and any ethnicity, stands a reasonable chance of being our next President.
As for the Republicans, I’m a conservative and I like many of President Trump’s policies. His stand against overregulation is welcome and appropriate. I would like to see rational, and enforced, immigration laws replace illegal immigration. I’m glad Trump is taking a harder line against countries like China and Iran. China is the world’s largest economy, but they have outmaneuvered us in the past in trade negotiations, and have thereby managed to acquire substantial American technology, to our great detriment.
But our President is very divisive and too often unpresidential; I would like to see him reform his personality, or be replaced by an alternative conservative candidate; both, unfortunately, are unlikely.
Oh. I thought the "I" word stood for Investigation. The only people I have met who are pushing impeachment aren't quite all there in the head in many other ways as well. I hope election integrity rises to the top priority. Holder and Obama have put it there for good reason. We must become a more democratic nation. No one should have to stand in line, outside in whatever weather, on a work day, to vote. Gerrymandering must be defeated. We have one of the most chaotic and antiquated electoral system in the free would, and it has been made that way on purpose by the Republican party. Every retailer knows that "three's a crowd." We must do better at protecting our democracy from people like Mitch McConnell and his rural supporters.
3
The House has a right to see those tax returns. It does not have a right to release them.
It can see copies subject to the IRS rules for confidentiality, for limited purposes of writing laws or law enforcement.
That does not include partisan use of them to embarrass a person who lawfully filed returns, which is exactly what they intend, the only thing that they intend.
Since their declared purpose is unlawful, they may not get them at all. Adam Schiff is the problem here for Democrats, not a solution for Democrats, since his expressed purposes are Trump's defense.
Schiff presents much the same problem as Trump's expressed purpose of excluding Muslims undermined his legal case for exclusion of foreign nationals for alleged national security purposes.
Disorder in DC, lack of progress among partisan outrages, would be fueled by this and would undermine the longer term prospects for Democrats. That mud contains the Trump-pig, who'd love to wrestle for the next two years.
2
Implementing a system of unbiased redistricting is the only way to resolve this continual gridlock. If districts were impartially drawn the Electoral College would be less of an issue. It’s not a sexy topic but a crucial one.
5
@jsfedit - How do we bring this about since redistricting is done by individual states?
This editorial has very good advice for the Democrats. They will, however, ignore it, in a misguided effort to satisfy their very-left wing. It's misguided for two reasons: that wing will never be satisfied and the indepedent voters in America will be appalled and punish the Dems at the polls in 2020.
I expect the major policy decision for the Democrats will be: who shall we impeach first, Trump or Kavanaugh? You go, Dems! That's the surest way to re-elect Trump and lose the House in 2020.
2
You have just perfectly described the Republican Congressional playbook and it worked for them on Clinton and helped them win the House and Senate majority with their endless investigations of Benghazi and Clinton's e-mails. Apparently it works and the Dems of the past have taken the higher road to their detriment. So your advice should not be heeded.
1
Something to keep in mind as we think about strategies approaching 2020.
The GOP will be defending 23 seats in the Senate and the DEMs only 11. So the advantage will be on the DEM side.
6
@J Jencks
Doesn't that depend on what states the GOP will be defending?
@Uysses
Simple answer. Do the math.
As Mr. Trump wakes up to day 1 of his now lame duck-hood presidency and spins like a top; the biggest story of the night is that in heavily Republican gerrymandered America, he was shellacked by the Democratic takeover of the House. Nothing he can tweet eliminates that fact.
5
Are you that bias to ignore the power shown yesterday by the electorate in all of America? The select “few” districts are definitely overshadowed by the Senate results. The lame duck opinion is a irrational, ignorant, and subjective reaction to reality and facts. Face it : the majority of America votes war, race, personal greed and fear.
The democrats won the 'House' alright, a necessary oversight to control a runaway president that destroyed diplomacy and Allies' trust towards a more peaceful world, and accentuating what most ails this democracy, it's deep, and odious, inequality (and reflected in the ongoing segregation of Health Care, Education and Housing, and even quality jobs that an equality of opportunity should have allowed). Cutting taxes for the 'rich and powerful', just so the McConnells of the world may perpetuate their seat of power's hypocrisy and self-serving, won't cut it. This country deserves better, and only achievable by the people educating themselves in civics, and allowing any political discussion only if based on the truth and the facts, absent in the current climate of deceit, and lies plus insults galore. Bipartisan efforts in immigration reform, infra-structure, etc are fine and dandy of course but without ceding to Trump's self-aggrandizement to catapult him to 2020's re-election (Ughh!!!). One more thing: how about starting to work on allowing only the popular vote to elect the next president, the Electoral College anti-democratic imbroglio notwithstanding? Now that would be a paradigm worth considering!
1
No.
Stop NYTimes, you're just like the Wall Street Journal. This constant call for Democrats to be the civil, moderate ones, calming a unruly child throwing a tantrum and hurting people that is the GOP.
No. We are going to make sure this Democratic house has a backbone.
5
@Bailey
In a democracy, being able to debate and campaign in a civil way, respecting all other people's opinions all while upholding high moral standards for yourself and high scientific standards for your policy proposals, IS having a backbone.
Trump and the GOP take the easy road: give up on achieving something for America or the 99%, create your own fake news 24/7 propaganda machine, and then invest most of your time in pandering to wealthy donors, not passing any bill in Congress, and retweeting and repeating what pundits on that propaganda machine say, so that people watching it believe that you "get it" and are "just like them".
Of course you can win a couple of elections like that.
But in the end, the truth always prevails.
And Americans ARE profoundly decent people, in their hearts.
So you can decide to cheat and then temporarily win, but victories like this are built on sand, never last, and most of all, don't achieve anything for America, whereas doing so is precisely what any democracy is all about.
And it's obviously perfectly possible to cultivate strong moral character and decency, all while massively winning elections, as the Obama era has shown.
2
@Ana Luisa
Nice thoughts, but part of what the GOP has done steadily for decades whenever they have power is to make key changes to our system that makes it easier for them to retain power. It's not a fair fight in the face of gerrymandering, voter suppression, etc.
3
Wise commentary, but I still gotta shout, "Yo Democrats!" Love ya---you did it!
2
"Now What?" -- Not much, the likelihood of impeachment may have increased, but only infinitessimally.
1
@Tuvw Xyz
Who needs talk of impeachment when it all comes down to the VOTE?
Actions speak louder than words.
You are wrong. Trump is a criminal probably a traitor. Impeach.
8
@joe If Trump is removed from office after half-way through his term, the remainder of his term will not count as part of Pence's term. We could have Pence for 10 years. (Amendment XXII)
The Democrats do indeed need to worry about screwing things up. The Democrats were running against a President who the Democrats claim is the worst the nation has ever had, who poses a serious threat to American democracy, who is a racist, a misogynist, a liar, and a crook. The result? The Democrats managed to get about three seats more than the historic average for mid-term gains in the House. It's clear that there are an awful lot of Americans, not just Trump supporters, who dislike and distrust the Democrats. The Democrats need to do some soul searching.
5
@Cynical Jack
They don't.
The GOP constantly lies and betrays its own voters. They merely win elections NOT by achieving something in DC (let alone achieving something for the American people) but by working together with Fox News to get their voters stuck in an alternative facts bubble where they lose all contact with who's really doing what in DC or what Democrats even stand for.
In the meanwhile, they also used gerrymandering and voter suppression to such an unprecedented extent that it's a testimony to HOW fed up most people actually are with all this lying and immoral behavior and insulting and cheating.
Today, only the Democratic politicians still have their hearts and soul in the right place.
This article says it all. Let’s not screw it up.
1
Now what? On the Republican side, the President blames all of the negative fruit of his tariffs and tax cuts on the House and sets himself and the Republicans up for a big win in 2020. The Senate packs the federal judiciary with right-wing activists. What little progress progressives make at the state level will be overturned in federal court.
1
Now what?
First, despite Trump's glaring flaws, valiant efforts from democrats, good voter turnouts, yesterday's results call for sobering inferences.
First, the democrat brand is flawed. Given a repugnant Trump, conditions favored a blue tsunami (they didn't get even a wave). America may find Trump horrible, they think democrats as less worthy (scary, squandering, advocates for illegal immigration and misandry). Their core brand propositions have been now rubbished as un-competitive.
Second, democrats have two tasks they will ignore now to their peril: redistricting and ensuring that voter registrations begin now and not in November 2020. But they will not. They will run instead to Trump to help him create a new healthcare plan (which he will kick), and help him pass an infrastructure bill (which he will take credit for). All this to ensure his 2020 victory, and trigger further sad sackery from democrats about how close they came.
Third, like afflictions of unclothed kings, I am expecting escalating hubris from democrats ("oh we came so close in Georgia, Texas, and Florida, oh we have a record number of women in office, oh registrations were lost, blah blah). As if some heavenly referee is magically showing up to right the wrongs that bother them.
America is changing, and Trump has found those that don't like the change. Democrats have not figured out what America is changing to. I could never vote republican, but the ineptitude of democrats makes me week.
3
@Kalidan
Very well said!
At this point, I don’t want a reform “package”. I want the new House to introduce a Constitutional Amendment, or series of Amendments to overturn Citizens United. There are few issues important enough to threaten to shut down the government. This is one of them. If we can’t stop the selling of our democracy/republic, all other issues will be hostage to this corrupting system. Two thirds of both houses, three fourths of the states. The power to do nothing else until this is accomplished- priceless.
3
Figure out how to convince green party voters that they are on the wrong path and are Republican enablers.
Angela Green had done her damage in Arizona before she dropped out with early voting and should be made to clean up the first environmental disaster in her state that happens due to relaxed controls.
Ralph, Jill, and Angie, the three Republican stooges.
2
Start preparing for 2020 presidential elections
Since women helped win the house it makes sense to nominate a women candidate
The platform should be left center so that we can attract independents
An extreme left views could turn off many possible voters
1
@Haim Elrad - Winning a presidential election is ALL about Electoral College math. The nominee should be chosen on ONE criteria. Is he or she the most likely to carry the EC? Everything else is secondary.
For most of our lifetimes the key to winning the EC has been to capture key "swing" states, by identifying and appealing to the "swing voters" in those states.That has been consistent since every election going back to Carter.
1
Special note to readers in Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Oregon -
Read up on the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (link below). It provides a legal way essentially to bypass the Electoral College. If we could get it implemented before 2020 we might well be able to Dump Trump. Your 4 states already have the Compact on their legislative agendas. Contact your local representatives and your governor and express your support for it.
Oregonians - our "leaders" have placed it on the agenda several times, each time failing to get to it before the close of session. We need to demand that they take it up again and pass it before 2020.
Write to your representatives! Write often.
Letters written on paper, emailed through the USPS, get far more attention than emails and online petitions. Remember, if we don't write then the only people they ever hear from are high paid lobbyists speaking on behalf of profiteering corporations.
1
Please no more talk of bipartisanship. They destroyed bipartisanship and our democracy. Remember what Devin Nunes did. Remember what Mitch McConnell did and will still do going forward. The Republicans are still in control of the WH and the Senate. The Dems must fight for the people. Dems are in no position to play nice. Do not work for your reelection. Consider you are working only for the next 2 years. Fight to protect Social Security, Medicare, rule of law, the middle class, reclaim and recall the tax dollars stolen to further enrich the super rich. We did not vote for you to play nice with the Trump lap dogs. We voted for you to fight for the people.
3
Working for re-elect and carrying out the will if the people are much the same thing. A lot of people have odd ideas about how democracy works.
1
Democrats won partly with votes of Republicans who wanted “a check on the President." But what does “check on the President” mean? It is critical for Democrats to accurately diagnose what they meant, if they want to retain that support through 2020. Obviously those Republicans haven’t suddenly become fans of liberal policy. Instead, they are willing to put up with objectionable liberal polices, as long as they get --- what?
Trump’s power rests on the semblance of protecting his white, right-wing Christian base from immigrants, the media, and Democrats. He has no interest in bipartisanship or helping his base economically. He would use impeachment and investigations as an opportunity to unite his base and humiliate his enemies. Democrats can’t pass legislation, but they could propose bold progressive laws such as Medicare for all, free State college education, public housing, ending mass incarceration, affordable preschool, paid maternity leave and other basic human rights that appeal to both sides of the divide. Abrams, Gillum, and O’Rourke lost but they demonstrated the positive programs on health and racial justice, vision, and moral leadership that point the way forward.
1
Remember folks that two houses make Congress and that other body just gained two seats. Do not tackle lofty goals . . . remember that the Senate is the body which tries the President in an impeachment.
Who are we kidding? These are prescriptions for serious people which the American public has never shown itself to be. During the entire Obama administration the Republican Congress sat on their hands, obstructed and lied throughout and was consistently rewarded by winning the entire Congress during most of Obama’s presidency and then adding on a Republican presidency as soon as Obama finished. A complete and total reward for doing absolutely nothing but obstruction. So why do we think that people aside from NYT readers are serious and paying attention now? I don’t know what the answer is but being the serious, incremental party of policy and wonkishness is not working for the Democrats and hardly a fair fight against the despicable tactics of the Republican party of today.
3
For the life of me I cannot understand why the Democrats are so inept at expressing how the American people are getting ripped off and why we should expect better. Instead their entire message this midterm was saying "pre-existing conditions" over and over coupled with,"wow, aren't you guys outraged by Trump's behavior?". Actually, a lot, a lot of people are motivated and emboldened at how Trump denigrates the mainstream media and how their perpetual outrage narrative seems so phony and ratings driven. Where's the talk of the minimum wage? Where is the anger and solutions to roll back of environmental regulations? Where is the hard facts and economics lessons about why the tax cut did what it did? Why the stock market is overvalued as a result of massive stock buybacks to inflate the earnings for the ruling class of "haves". Dems have no plan on the border except to say, "we welcome immigrants" That's it? They have ceded the entire issue to the GOP by basically inferring they do not care about illegal immigration, I did not hear a single Democrat speak firmly about how it was even illegal and a problem we need to solve. People SHOULD be voting Democratic en masse based on the tone, policy and behavior of the Republican party. However the Democrats are so blinded by trying to elect the first Black or Woman to a seat and pat themselves on the back about it as if they are somehow superior, meanwhile they have completely forgotten convey real policy.
1
Yeah, as you say, first up is the Dreamer. Dems can explain how they could have turned down Trump's deal to legalize 2 million.
1
Action on climate and reversing the disastrous Trump de-regulation, pro-fossil fuel agenda at the EPA and the Department of the Interior is paramount. We have NO time to waste.
4
"The Democrats Won the House. Now What", you ask?
How about restoring a veneer of civility to a nation battered by two years of this president's racist and venal blatherings which have torn it apart?
How about a swift return to the constructs defined by the U.S. Constitution, instead of being forced to swallow legislation by Executive Order and fiats?
How about a chance for the Affordable Care Act, the Voting Rights Act, Roe vs. Wade, Immigration Reform, Gun Control, and Gender Equality?
How about having hope again?
1
The Dems blew the political advantage before when Pelosi took Impeachment off the table. This mealy mouthed editorial espouses making that mistake again. No wonder many Republicans think the Democrats are weak. Backbone is important and compromise doesn't always work. The GOP proved that over and over and over....... Turn about is indeed fair play.
2
If the Dems stick to what they campaigned on which other than the very red states, brought a number of Republican voters over, they will do well for the country, and we can take back government for and by the people back in 2020.
This is good, of course.
But I still can't get over the number of people who are still voting for Republicans and, by implication, supporting Trump.
What he is was clear even before the 2016 election. Now we've seen two years of his ignorance, vacancy, lying, selfishness, and meanness.
No, I didn't think we'd get everything. But I hoped my fellow Americans would surprise me.
@Tokyo Tea
Fox News! most of the country lives off of Fox News and for them the president is the victim. When I go to visit my mother in central Florida everywhere we go...doctors offices, nail salons, etc., they all have the tv turned to Fox News all day long. When I scold my mother for watching Fox News she protests saying that that is all that anyone there watches and therefore how could they be so wrong?
The Board may have noticed that wherever Trump he strengthened Republican resolve and achieved a sufficient majority in the Senate to assure conservative Supreme Court appointments in to the foreseeable future. Under the circumstances if you want to kill the snake, you must cut off its head. If the Democrats don't manage to deep-six Trump before 2020, they will face another 4 years in the wilderness and the republic will continue to be raped by Trump and his fellow travelers. So let's do a little less Rodney King and hope that ,before they are given the boot, Mueller and Rosenstein will have a chance to release a report.
2
I don't know what all the hand wringing is about. Perhaps democrats should stop worrying about appealing to the center-right and become liberals. Healthcare, environment, consumer protections, equal rights for all. If that is not who they are, then who are they? Sniveling center of the road politicians just like the GOP will do anything to hold on to power while throwing their brainwashed base under the bus? Run as and act like liberals and if Americans are too ignorant to know that that is what is best for them then they get the cruel and evil government they deserve.
Oh, and if you could, could they please find a way to eliminate all the federal welfare that goes to the under achieving red states. Why should the industrious blue states keep subsidizing the states that can't pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. There is a reason that these red states suffer economically and it is a self inflicted thing. They should learn to work harder and stop whining for money from the federal government. Cut the pork across the board, most of it goes to the under achievers.
Reading your article and then your readers' comments, it's become abundantly clear that no one wants to serve their constituents only their party. The history of the two party system is founded on compromise. Reaching across the aisle to SERVE the people's interests is what is going to close this enormous divide fueled by bitter acrimony and rhetoric. When will the news media start reporting the news again instead of being it?
Absolutely no new major policy will be enacted in the next two years, so Democrats must not dream for anything grand. The Senate is under Republican control and Trump can veto any bill that would miraculously get past the Senate. The Democrats can chatter all day, but without bicameral super-majorities that are veto-proof, Democratic policies are going nowhere.
This was the best possible result for the American elite, because it keeps the illusion of democratic renovation alive in the minds of the American people.
As I've posted many times here, the American system is designed to be perpetually two-party. There won't -- and never will be -- a blue or red "wave". It is the perpetual struggle between the blues and the greens; like the circus in the Colosseum, it's fake competition.
Besides the bombastic rhetoric, Trump is a pretty much normal POTUS. What he's doing (tax breaks for corporations, defense spending rise, declaring a new bête noire in the world stage, etc. etc.) is nothing out of the box in the world of American politics and national interests. And, with the Senate, he won't be impeached either. So, he will govern.
Fully agree with "policy picks". Democrats should advance their messaging nationally with these three issues. Not mentioned is our unauthorized wars. We might have a little extra money if we stop these never ending wars.
Impeachment, let it go and use subpoenas for the most egregious actions by the administration.
The democrats should use these two years not only to groom national leaders but to build statewide party infrastructure across the country and prepare for 2020.
1
Well, my expectations is two years of gridlock, as the Democrat's "blue wave", was one you see on Long Island Sound, as opposed to the Atlantic Ocean.
They did pick up at least 5 governorships, but lost about 4 Senate seats. Also, Ohio, at all levels, with exception of Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, a deep red state. From governor, on down, it is solid republican. It can no longer be considered a state that measures the nation political feelings. Also, Colorado, had a blue shift from purple to blue.
As for the Democrat agenda? The House GOP caucus will do, what they did under Obama; so no help there. And, the Senate? If a bill does make it there; it will die a quick death. And, if for some miracle it makes it to Trump; it will be vetoed.
The only good thing that came out of last night is that the Republicans no longer control all of the federal government. They also cannot do anything destructive to Medicare and Social Security, for at least two years. But, Trump still has a strong base, and conservative media on his side, he will continue to do what he does to undermine House Democrats. This, in hopes to getting full control again in 2020.
So, the Democrats better show they can govern, and actually work on health care, infrastructure, jobs, etc. Going after Trump will only sow more divisions and anger. They need to show they can unite the country; not divide it more.
1
Democrats gained a fairly average number of seats for an opposition party during a midterm election. That’s hardly worth a lot of fandom. The number of seats gained is dwarfed by the 2010 midterms. The blue wave was more like a blue ripple. I think a split congress is a good thing in the current times of Trump. Accountability needs to be maintained. Overall though, I struggle to see this as a big win for Democrats.
Trump has done a masterful job of creating an indelible rift between the far right and the far left. So, looking to 2020, it is incumbent upon the Democrats to deal with the Herculean task of finding common ground with Trump. For starters, Trump has expressed a desire to improve our nation's infrastructure. Democrats in the House should capitalize on it and show independent voters they are not gloating about their victory and are earnest in getting much needed legislation done on this vital issue. Who knows, if that gets done maybe the Republicans would be more amenable to revisiting health care and immigration. Working together can happen not because of Trump but despite him.
We have seen the future, and it is Beto, Stacey and Andrew. A real alternative. Genuine change. Prosperity, progress and the common good. We should follow their lead.
1
Focus on those things that make a difference to America. If this mid-term result is to mean anything at all, the Dems in the House must show they understand this. Healthcare, Education and Taxes are what Americans truly care about.
1) Ensure ACA is viable, sustainable and available for all.
2) Ensure SSI, Medicare and Medicaid are viable and sustainable.
3) Invest in secondary education by making two-years of Community College tuition free for all.
4) Replace the 2017 Tax Cut for the 1% and corporations with a real tax cut focused only on those making less than $100K.
3
The can’t do anything like this unless they controlled the senate as well. Nice pipe dream though.
I disagree about the subpoenas.
I would "go crazy" with them.
Not necessarily to lead to impeachment, which will never happen, but we need to find out the depth of the lawlessness that is going on in this administration and to hold them accountable.
Health care vis-a-vis the pre-existing condition debate that was a main driver in the Democratic message should be job one. They need to shore up the ACA once and for all, and with the GOP back on their heels on this issue this may be the time when something finally can get done.
Beyond that, infrastructure is probably the only area where something "concrete" might be accomplished, but I won't hold my breath.
As far as DACA/Immigration reform, forget it, the GOP is going to dig in their heels.
5
Wonderful comments that I hope the new Democratic majority in the House actually read.
Between now and the actual new House being seated Trump has a lot of 'stuff' on his agenda. Sessions, Rosenstein, Mueller are all in his sights. And who knows what Mitch McConnell has planned?
There are rules that he has yet to manipulate.
Proceed with caution and please start to communicate with us Americans. If Pelosi is in fact going to start to groom new leaders, let then get out there and tell us what is going on. Focus, get a message or 3 and repeat, repeat, repeat. Trump still is the Twitter Bullhorn king. Let's get some facts floating across America.
Sure, we can hope for any national politicians, red or blue, to avoid grandstanding and focus on substantive consensus issues.
We can also hope for unicorns.
I am happy that the Democratic Party won the House and few Governor's race. I am worried that they could not win the Florida and Ohio governor's race which is so important for 2020 presidential race. Beto do great even though he lost. The polling was wrong even in this election and they should get better. The Democratic Party should not ignore the center left voters and the moderates who are the key to win. Forget infighting and get ready for 2020 united to gain bigger. Invest in Florida and Ohio from now.
Much more important to protect the special counsel than to do his work for him. All Congressional investigations, from either side, are mostly sizzle, not steak. Mueller is the meat and potatoes. He's got the tools, the team, and the equipment. Stay out of his way and keep the road clear for him. Focus on smart legislation, even if it gets knocked down by the Senate.
1
@TS - I agree. And if Mueller should come up with real, solid goods on Trump, it will be far more damning than anything the DEMs could accomplish, just by virtue of Mueller being a registered Republican.
Wouldn't it be handy if there was some reason why Mueller's investigation should require Trump's (or even Trump Jr.'s) tax returns?
Trump’s idea is to divide and conquer.He wants an aggrieved constituency who will be negative and accusatory.The Democratic Congress needs to be exactly the opposite.They need to foster a feeling of unity, to bring opposites together and to propose positive programs.They need to legislate for all of the people emphasizing what is good for the country.Trump is all about what is good for Trump.The Democrats in Congress need to,bring the emphasis back to the common values of our society so we will finally begin to recognize our own Democracy.
1
As usual the Board has it mostly wrong. First of all our new Dem ruled Congress isn't going to get anywhere with anything. So the best strategy will be to push for things all America wants. At the same time Dems have to take over the conversation. Feeding pushback from the center and rightwards gets us nowhere. Why our Dems are so weak on messaging is a question that must be answered.
Democrats appear unable to effectively challenge the narrative that the Republicans are selling to the American people. They allow myths to be sold as truth and unpopular ideas to be sold as trends. Whatever version of failure this is -- whether it's a problem with communication, leadership, management, economic strategizing, etc. -- it's failure by somebody, and those somebodies ought to be replaced.
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@The Iconoclast
1. Pushing for things that all America wants is not only what Democrats have been doing for years already, are very good at, and will certainly continue to do. It's also what this editorial advises them to do, so apparently, you do agree with the Board this time ... ;-)
2. I don't buy the myth that Democrats are "weak on messaging". People who say this imagine that somehow a political party that sticks to the truth and fact-based policies and that refuses to buy an entire fake news propaganda machine such as Fox News in order to systematically mislead and betray its own voters, isn't doing things properly.
"Messaging" in a democracy is not comparable to trying to sell as many bad shoes as possible - even though that is exactly how the GOP is approaching it.
In a democracy, political parties build a message based on truth and real policies, and then buy ads and knock on doors etc. Then, it's up to us to behave as patriots and actively go looking for information about all candidates, and about who did what in DC etc.
You cannot just sit back, watch how a "communication strategy" of the GOP actually becomes a propaganda strategy, with controversial tweets setting the media's agenda 24/7, and then complain that you don't hear the Democrats' voices anymore - IF you're a patriot.
Those voices are OUR voices. So you either go listening to other people and talk with them, or imagine that it's commercial media that should bring you all that you need to know.
Advice from The NY Times should be put aside. Read Pamphlet: From Dictatorship to Democracy(https://www.aeinstein.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/FDTD.pdf) or watch: https://youtu.be/l_UTax4sZ9c
We are living in a Corporate Oligarchy. We can restore democracy if we act strategically.
3
Good editorial, not just because I agree with the bulk of it. But that helps. ;o)
Another "Now What?"
What did this election reveal in terms of DEM strengths and weaknesses for 2020?
What parts of the country may be shifting and how can DEMs encourage change to their advantage?
Look towards potential "battle ground" states for 2020. DEMs seem to be losing ground in south-western PA and OH. This is NOT good. These are 2 swing states that have often given DEM presidents a win. What's happening there to cause this shift? Bernie's message rang with that part of the country. Incorporate that into the larger message.
Positive shifts - WI, IA, AZ - what can DEMs do to strengthen this? Consolidate gains. Provide resources to the newly elected, to help them excel. Build a media presence.
Congrats on the 7 new DEM governors. This has the potential to make a huge difference as it can shift those states' internal dynamic towards the DEMs, for crucial 2020 redistricting. DEMs need to start focusing on state legislatures. Despite the 7 new DEM governors, too many state legislatures remain GOP controlled.
This may be the most important focus of the next 2 years. While the House needs to chart a calm, cool headed course, state DEM parties need to be focusing on building real bases in their local communities. We absolutely need to see state legislatures shifting in 2020.
Though Beto O'Rourke and Andrew Gillum lost, they resonated well with the public. Do something with that.
A Great Articulation of "How Things Ought To Be!"...Great!!
--> However I fear that with a slim one vote majority the GOP will find a Democrat or two to help them KILL SS & MEDICARE!
--> Film at 11
"Now and again"... good lord.
1
No New York Times! Democrats should fight like lions and tigers. You suggest that they be well behaved and neutered puppies. Your interests are really the interests of the 1 Percent. They have always been. Just give the poor and the lower middle class a few bones so the first don’t starve and the second don’t become the rest.
1
Personally, I'm waiting to see the new head of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, Adam Schiff, step on David Nunes's face.
6
Here is a bipartisan idea for Congress: revise Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. The Constitution gives Congress the power to impose tariffs. The current Congress has ceded that power to President Trump. The new Congress needs to take back that power.
https://www.jones.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-jones-portman-ernst-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-reform-national-security-tariff-process-and-increase-congressional-oversight
https://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h394.html
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Nancy Pelosi, you reading this?? If not, you should be...
1
Just subpoena the tax returns and make them public. Trump will dissolve like a salted slug.
1
Very cogent opinion piece by The Editorial Board.
1
A leftist agenda will insure a Republican House again in 2020. Go for it, Democrats. The nation will watch your socialist convulsions and ant-Trump agenda with interest. And with disgust.
@paul
Can you please explain WHAT is "leftist" about the list of items proposed here ... ?
1
The most expensive midterm election in history has resulted in minute changes in the political landscape. What a waste of resources. I feel manipulated into thinking all Republicans are racist (is that reasonable?), while they think all Democrats are socialists. I feel manipulated into believing a blue wave would rein in the craziness in the White House and possibly impeach the worst president in history, but meanwhile the U.S. map remains mostly red. What a waste of time politics is.
2
Drop impeachment, but go after him hard on his taxes. I didn't know olive branches had thorns...
More posturing? Easing parking restrictions on Capitol Hill? Grandchildren banging the gavel at the dais of the U.S. House? Welcoming the homeless to monthly lunches of the Democrat caucus? The House in floor session longer than the current 2.2 days a week? Lengthy outrage spectacles masquerading as committee hearings? I suppose that's leadership for our strange, new times. Signed.. Green Party supporter
2
In your recommendations for the House dems agenda, you forgot the main cause of corruption; buying of congressmen, the campaign finance system as its called.
And as far as lowering health costs, that could only be Medicare for all which this newspaper does not like to mention.
So your suggestions are awfully, awfully mild, low-barred with little real progress for the average person.
You can do better than that.
1
@Frank
They mention campaign finance reform. Just read this editorial again and you'll see. It's one of the main items on the list.
Impeachment...
Tax Returns...
Immigration reform...
the mind reels.
Turn this horrific mutt into a lame duck.
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Blue states are getting bluer, red states are getting redder. How do we move forth? Tempting as a Kamal Harris/Beto ticket might be for 2010, it would win by landslides only in blue states. Would a Tony Evers/Michelle Grisham ticket prevail over Trump/Pence?
No,no,no,Democrats - go after him! He’s a bad , dangerous president. We voted you in to get rid of him, not try to work with him.
3
So once again, the advice is that Democrats need to be the adults in the room and not get too "out there" with their policy initiatives for fear of creating division. When Dumb Don can do anything he wants and his disgusting supporters get even more keen to support him, why on earth should the Democrats turn away from a clear and present danger like climate change where modest efforts could produce real and tangible benefits?
Dumb Don voters will never support a Democrat--they don't want to have to eat their vegetables, and like their candidate, they want steak every single day, with two scoops of ice cream. One can only hope that his diet catches up with him quickly.
Dumb's voters seem to thrive on being afraid. Those white tattooed bullies who march for him under the banner of the "alt-right" are just cowards, afraid of being replaced by intellectuals, women and people of color. So pathetic to see so much fear. Who knew a bunch of desperate, poor, threatened migrants, mostly women and children, could strike such fear in the hearts of those bullies?
Maybe Trump voters could try reading a book sometime--one of the great old adventures--Robin Hood, the Sword in the Stone, you know, a story where the good guys actually help desperate women and children, rather than gathering at a "wall" with guns to drive them back into the arms and guns of the bad guys. Oh--Dumb doesn't read--do his fans?
3
I supported the Republicans in this election and I am dismayed to see the Democrats control the House of Representatives, however I see one glimmer of hope and that's in foreign policy.
The incoming chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, Elliot Engel of New York may be a dinosaur-a pro-Israel Democrat-but for the moment he's our dinosaur. Let's hold Saudi Arabia accountable for what it did to Kashoggi and then lying about it for 2 weeks.
It is obvious the Trump administration and the business community will do nothing about what happened. The lesson for Saudi Arabia's tyrannical leader is they can be as brutal and oppressive as they want to be. As long as they buy our weapons, pump their gas, and oppose Iran no one will do doodly.
I think we as a nation should be better than that. I'll gladly pay more to fill my tank to live in a nation that believes in something other than making money.
Our history is full of "alliances" with tyrants that ended up costing us dearly. The British did not stop Mussolini when he was slaughtering Ethiopians, with weapons transported through the British Suez Canal, because we thought he'd be our ally against Hitler. (insert today's Yemen and Iran) We deposed a democratic leader and supported our ally the tyrant Shah in Iran and had no idea how unpopular he really was.
No tyranny without human rights will ever be our ally. We may have some interests in common, but only temporarily. Our values are paramount.
Godspeed Elliot.
Staler than week-old toast? How about Dems know how their bread gets buttered?) Really tired of hearing Pelosi is any more or less stale than good ole boys like McConnell. And since when is old equal to stale, as if there are no brilliant minds over 80, capable of marshaling resources and continuing to achieve against daunting odds? Politics is rough and tumble, often stomached IMHO by only the most civic-minded. Power in and of itself is a tool, not a personality defect. So lay off Pelosi as a throw-away line and give her some room to work the room. We are very lucky her mix of talent, grit and know-how is back in position - auspiciously for these exact next few years. There will be good.
Sent from my iPad
1
I've searched the entire article and comments for "trans" and found nothing. What's wrong dems, are you not going to push transgender issues anymore? I've always wondered why just before the 2016 election when the all-important issue of who goes in which bathroom was plastered all over my TV you ended up slipping into the ditch.
Amen!
1
Wake up. What about Trump's "presidency" to date indicates we are dealing with anything but a corrupt, dangerous man with every intention of wielding the immense power within his hands for another two years and on to a second term or even more? Donald will be up to his neck in the dozens of the various lawfare already chasing him (and his) for the remainder of his life. He knows this. Avoiding or prevailing by overt actions are his immediate choices. He has long been willing to lie, cheat, and steal - in association with affluent gangsters - so recognizing the danger he faces is something Donald knows very well. He is not a neophyte. His exposure means his (dad's) life fortune (or rather his benefactor's loans) will be on the line beginning on the first day without the protective shield he carries as President. He has, is, and will always conspire with whomever he can to maintain his grip on The Ring. Careful steps is pointless around such a person. He can only survive if he is successful at grabbing control and he has been working at it, going over it, plotting some more, every waking moment within his twisted bigoted mind. Donald is a legitimate threat to bring an autocratic future to this land if he is not overwhelmed soon. This "slowroad" approach may well mean always being a step behind when it should have been a window and last chance to attack and destroy this criminal before he became untouchable.
1
The Blue House win is a start, but It will take more than one "inoculation" to cure America of it's Trumpfection.
We expect the House to now do its most important job and examine Trump's taxes and protect Mueller's report.
The American democracy is at stake and Assistant Attorney General Rod Rosenstien must IMMEDIATELY send Congress the sections of the Mueller report that are ready. Tonight might be the last night that it may be possible.
Trump will fire Rosenstien and bury the evidence with the help of the GOP lame ducks.
Now? Nothing. The House will propose radical Socialist programs which will go nowhere. Republicans will confirm at least 1 more Chief Justice and a plethora of judges. A few rapid Democrats will launch investigations that will go nowhere, but will provide the Republicans with a great 2020 campaign theme of why not to elect Democrats. Overall, the election will cause more gridlock than ever in legislating. In Texas, $80M given to Beto and he loses? Money cannot buy a Socialist candidate a win in Texas.
@James
Such as Obamacare, which is entirely private sector based, saves an additional half a million American lives a decade, and curbed costs increases .. ?
The only way Trump can win is by making people like you believe totally false ideas about immigrants and "socialism". And by having people like you who then refuse to fact-check, of course.
As to "more gridlock than ever": you seem to forget that during the last two years, when the GOP controlled Congress, they only managed to pass ONE major piece of legislation ... . They simply don't know how to govern - how could they, when their policies are based on complete lies and "alternative facts"? I expect more bills to pass during the next two years, just like what has been the case under Obama. That's because (1) Democrats are in politics to govern and achieve something for America, not just for themselves, and (2) their policies are science-based, so perfectly doable.
1
Pick political battles wisely...what is that code for rolling over and play dead? Turning back to the spineless days of old? Why is the dems even when they win they lose? No stand up for what’s right and fix what’s wrong no more games stop all the republican cheating and call out a lie as a lie. Claw away from the fringe left and find the center where most Americans are. No matter who’s feathers get ruffled.
1
Not as bracing as ice-cold water in the face on the morning of a hangover, but as a to-do list, the op-ed suffices.
1
Focus on trump's taxes - find out where all that money is from. kick ivanka and jared to the curb - they have done nothing for the country and for some reason ivanka just garnered even more trademarks in China in manufacturing areas that she is completely clueless about.
1
It's not only what politicians are going to do - it's what is the press going to do. This president and most of the GOP have no interest in truth - winning is all. The press has for too long been way too polite. When someone is lying call it out - call it a lie. Don't try to be nice and equivocate - tell the truth - truth matters.
1
@Moonwood
And systematically mention HOW bills are made, so that those who still didn't vote this time because they imagine that when our ideals aren't signed into law overnight, it must be because politicians aren't just "that into us", as the Huffington Post notoriously wrote when Obama achieved a huge victory through a compromise bill.
ALL politics is compromising, in a democracy. That's the price you have to pay for refusing to install a dictatorship.
Elections are about improving things step by step, and require full and long term attention from ALL voters.
Only when the media start doing this, rather than focusing on which bill is a "win" for the career of which politician, and focusing on the "charisma" of candidates rather than on what they would and could do for us once elected, will voter turnout because what it should be in any democracy.
The GOP's horrible two years already increased voter turnout (not only among Democrats and Independents, but because of their relentless lies also among conservatives), but it's not enough yet, and the media can play a HUGE role here.
So yes, truth matters. But which truths you decide to focus on, as journalists, matter a lot too.
1
Let is return to the rule of law...we will pick our battles wisely and govern so. Well done America.
3
They wont impeach, it will barely get pass house if they are extremely lucky. Will never go thru senate they will smack it back as quick. As it gets there, lets just plan on a gridlock for next couple of years.
A New York Times editorial I actually agree with. If the Democrats can declare a truce ( or even make peace) in the culture war, and stop using the race and gender cards at every opportunity, maybe they can actually accomplish some good.
2
Nothing will get done until we have a comprehensive immigration plan. Go right at the main GOP talking point and make them put up or shut up. So what if we have to spend a few bucks to start work on a useless wall, it’s worth the price if we can take this issue off the table by 2020.
1
I just love reading these comments. All the emotion, all the really good advice and the loathing of Trump. Then NJ elects Menendez and all that fades away. I am back in the real world and I realize that it's the same old, same old. Schumer, Pelosi and the gang are all fooling us. What's their message? We hate Trump? Not much to build a dream on...
1
"Love her or hate her, nobody herds the cats better than Ms. Pelosi." While this might be true, she desperately needs to train a new cat herder. The article is correct when it states she carries a lot of baggage. It is this baggage that creates a major problem for other Democrats running for office. Thank you for your decades and decades and decades of service, Ms. Pelosi, but it really is time for you to retire. As for the new House, please do your job properly, judiciously, and, if needed, forcefully play hardball. GET THE JOB DONE. That's what you were elected to do.
In seeing the need to restore sanity to American politics, the NYT editorial board is acknowledging the fact that it is insane; that's a start. But it's not just our politics that are insane. The world is crazy. Changing this country's political landscape would be a step in the right direction, but what we really need is a paradigm shift in human thought.
In the near future, we will program the human mind in the computer, which will give us the ability to learn what we do to ourselves with our ridiculous beliefs and manufactured values. The computer mind will be based on a "survival" algorithm and will provide irrefutable proof as to how we trick the mind with our beliefs about just exactly what is supposed to survive - producing a mind programmed de facto for destruction. When we come to understand this, we will begin the long trek back to reason and sanity. See RevolutionOfReason.com
1
The Times was wrong in the lead up to the Iraq War, and I’m afraid this is another case of the Times putting out misguided ideas. It’s time for the House to pull out all the stops. Two years is a very short amount of time, and the Democrats need to accomplish everything they possibly can.
Democrats need to build a Teflon wall so that all of the spaghetti Trump throws slides on to the ground.
All the talk now of Socialist Democrats and Non-Socialist Democrats is a guarantee to keep the blue out of real control of government for the foreseeable future, absent some really extraordinary event. One such extraordinary event would that one which would make such a mischievous distinction irrelevant, namely the open admission of guilt by the party in having allowed themselves to be manipulated for decades by undemocratic influences contrary to public interest. We went into the 2016 debacle with the Middle East in flames with war as an engine of profit roaring, Europe close to war over Ukraine, the American middle class on their knees and one family owning more than 40% of the population. The stink of corruption around the party and its candidate organisation was palpable. Sanders was the only US statesman on the ticket, and his wish to see some integrity in politics was labelled as reds under the bed by Democrats who should hang their heads in shame.
If Democrats are to return to effective government the admission of that deep and grievous error should come sooner rather than later. All I see at the moment are ageing politicians in denial.
So a Democratic win while the national map bleeds red?
It's time for the Dems to start looking like a party that the heartland wants to vote for, not one that hangs on byt its fingernails in the big cities. If that means dumping the Social Justice Rainbow Diversity Coalition, so be it.
Kudos for noting that the Dems aren't very good at grooming the next generation of leaders. Of course, doing so implies getting candidates elected to governor's offices, Senate seats etc. See above.
The aristocratic style of Pelosi doesn't help Democrats to look concerned about ordinary people.
So glad that the Dems took the House. Now they need to do something with it that will help all Americans and hold the president accountable for his and his administration's behavior. I hope they spend the next six weeks planning it all out.
The Democrats need to show real spine and real moral conscience. For starters, you can look to the people who lost but won our hearts, minds, and dollars: Stacey Abrams and Beto O’Rourke. Take on the venal corruption and bigotry of this foul administration with everything you have and be on the right side of history.
1
Please do not make Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House. It would almost guarantee Trump’s re-election. The geriatric Democratic leadership now has to make room for new faces, after these years of failure.
1
"Love her or hate her, nobody herds the cats better than Ms. Pelosi."
She also seems to irritate the so-called president.
ALWAYS a PLUS.
I am satisfied with the election. Having a check on total control of the house, senate, and executive. Is always a good thing.
First job, neutralize the immigration issue before 2020. How? Pass a bill making E-Verify mandatory for all employers with necessary funding to make the system work, monitor and enforce. Put Senate Republicans on the defensive. Shift focus away from border to boardrooms. The main concern of anti-immigration voters is illegals taking jobs. E-Verify targets that concern.
376
@abigail49 Beyond that, I think it's time for a national ID. Red states continue to use voter ID to restrict voting. Let's give every American a photo ID that all states must accept. The State Department issues passport cards for $55 and make a profit at that price, so for $14 billion, the Federal government could give everyone 16 and older an ID for voting and employment verification. Valid for ten years, it would cost less than $2 billion a year after the initial investment and make it easier for everyone to vote.
55
@abigail49 E-Verify has been in place for years. Businesses are required to use it.
The problem is that it is easy to get SS numbers and no agencies police it.
17
@abigail49
Seems to me with all the "Hiring Now" signs I see around, we could use some of those immigrants who would be willing to work for an entry wage.
10
Agreed. Pick your battles wisely and hold off on impeachment until Mueller finishes his investigation and submits a report that will determine whether such action is warranted. Come up with decent fixes for immigration, health care and climate change. Reverse some of the tax cuts that balooned the deficit. Put some teeth back into the defanged EPA and let it protect our environment like it used to. Investigate Trump's violations of the emoluments clause and the corruption of his Cabinet secretaries.
2
"Restoring some sanity to American politics and a sense of higher, common purpose to American governance is yet another."
Can we please start with realistic expectations for what the Democrats can accomplish?
Solid control of the senate by Republicans should worry all of us. Now they will have the final say on any supreme court nominees. The high court could plunge far to the right with no hope of returning to a reasonable center. The changes will take at least a generation of Americans to undo.
Ouch!
Before the high fives and backslapping gets out of control, let's be clear about what we saw: a clear swing of the house to democrats with a roughly equal majority to the previous republican majority. But let's also remember there are roughly two months before both houses are sworn in with their new elected officials; more than enough time for an emboldened president and bitter republicans to wreak even more havoc. Mr. Mueller and our general constitutional norms are not any safer this morning than they were yesterday.
The Senate has been shifted more to the right which now emboldens Mr. Trump and Mr. McConnell. Any legislation moving through the house and into the senate will face tougher scrutiny while the so called "swing votes" of Mrs. Collins and Mrs. Murkowski are no longer as critical to democrats. Jeff Flake and Bob Corker will be gone so the moral outrage they occasionally exhibited now mean nothing.
Democratic leadership in the house and senate must change. Mr. Schumer and Mrs. Pelosi can no longer claim any mandate given the groundswell of support from more progressive, younger voters. How can democrats be effective and progressive with Schumer and Pelosi giving republicans and the president targets of scorn and derision?
How about bringing up the carried interest loophole? It always gets talked about during elections and then the issue disappears. Trump has spoken against it. It would be a good way to show the public who the GOP really works for.
Replacing Nancy Pelosi now would be a huge mistake on the House Democrats' part. She still has her stuff and the experience to get things done in the House.
I agree with the Editorial Board: The Dems have to be very, very careful right now. Rep. Nadler hates Trump and their feuding goes back to the 1990s in New York City when Nadler opposed many of Trump's real estate ventures.
I have more faith in Adam Schiff, who I believe is very centered and will conduct his committee chair with sensible reason.
My state of anxiety has lessened a bit, but just a bit. I was hoping for more than the Blue Ripple we got last night.
7
The obstructionism which dominated the Republican response to President Obama will return against the Democratic House. Expect it, work accordingly.
So yes, take up the headline issues that formed the successful campaign but do not compromise. Even though it had no chance of enactment, the Republicans spent six years on legislation against the ACA. The Democrats should follow this same playbook, but rather on a broad portfolio of action that defines what they will do in 2021. Write the legislation, debate it, campaign on it and so force the Republicans to deny.
The big problem is the Wall. To fund or not to fund, to compromise for support on other legislation or to hold to the principles of sane governance. That will be the question in Trump’s narrative ... and so a good reason to deny it.
1
Infrastructure (although absolutely necessary) will be a tough sell during record low unemployment. With 1 million more jobs than job seakers who is going to fix the infrastructure?
This the best reason to look at those who are not searching and make the infrastructure a 20 year process to create careers.
Who will build the wall and the infrastructure? Immigrants.
Requesting the President's taxes is a zero-sum game. Dems will exhaust precious political capital, and we'll see what everyone already suspects - that, like his son-in-law Mr. Kushner, President Trump has likely used legal means to pay little to no taxes. He himself has bragged about paying less in taxes, and if found out he will continue to do so.
1
Well considered, and well said. I am currently reading Robert Kuttner's excellent "Can Democracy Survive Global Capitalism?", and he has opened my eyes to the main factors that gave rise to Trump. Democrats would do well to read it for themselves, and build a strategy around it to take back the Senate and White House in 2020. Every single move, every policy position should be designed with the American people in the forefront, and Democrats must forcefully articulate that all along the way, not just during the campaign season. Forget Trump, focus on the destructive policies of the GOP. And if that isn't enough to carry the day, if the people continue to succumb to demagoguery, accept the fact that there is nothing left worth saving. But at least they will have been given a clear alternative. As Kuttner explains, raw and uncontrolled capital must be contained if democracy is to survive. Indeed, if the planet is to survive.
2
Yesterday election was a watershed event but it's just the start.
WE THE PEOPLE must continue to fight like hell every single day to preserve/restore/improve life for 99.9% of us in OUR United States.
Please, Good People, do not go back to life as usual. Democracy is not a spectator sport. Politics decide every single thing that happens in OUR lives and every single one of us - average Americans across the land - must pick the one thing we value most about living in America and work daily to help preserve/restore/improve it.
Yesterday was a watershed moment because Americans have realized that their votes are what decides OUR future. Good Job, Good People of America.
Let's push on and surprise the hell out of the Robber Barons, Russians and the world.
3
@njglea
2016 was a watershed. Last night was a standoff.
Having won the House (phew!), Democrats now have the opportunity to show that they have the ability and willingness to govern, rather than engage in payback. The 2020 presidential election starts now and if Trump is to be unseated (impeachment will be an exercise in futility unless Trump actually shoots someone on 5th Avenue), the Democrats must show that their agenda is closer to what the American people want and need than the Trump Republicans. Here's hoping that sanity will be restored.
2
Surely the 2018 midterm has triggered alarm bells over the need for an urgent review of the antiquated, inadequate, politicized and unrepresentative elements of the US Constitution. Glaringly obvious is the make-up of the Senate. When Wyoming (Pop. 550k) and California (Pop 40m) each have two Senators - how is that representative? And then there's politically appointed tenured Supreme Court Justices, irrational gun laws, lack of remedy for emolument breaches etc. Although the Constitution is indeed a marvelous floor plan for a nation, the provision for Amendments is there for a reason. As Churchill once noted: “You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing after they have tried everything else.”
6
Realistically nothing will get done in congress again this year. Senate controls the whole she-bang and they haven't done anything but tax cuts and getting conservative judges through for years. Getting the Trump tax returns released would be huge, but he owns the Supremes so don't count on it. I don't see many things changing from the stalemate we have had since 2010.
1
The best sentence in you editorial was this one: "The trick will be finding the right balance in both tone and topic." I hope this is the case. Play your newly acquired place with resolve and common sense. This is just the first step in bringing democracy back to America.
2
We desperately need a voting system that is secure, quick and convenient. If we can develop iPhones, we could develop a dependable, verifiable system of voting with zero delays. Verifiable is the crux of the matter. I cannot CONFIRM my vote for Beto. Refugio County had new machines, touchscreen! But there was no way to go online, enter my password/code and verify that my vote was not flipped for Cruz.
2
It will be instructive to see if hating trump and mass immigration turn out to be a winning strategy longterm.
2
"They are also causes for which the president has explicitly expressed his own enthusiasm, whether real or feigned. This gives Democrats the chance to press President Trump about whether he is interested in making progress on his stated goals..."
Is the Editorial Board serious? Donald Trump has repeatedly shown us- the world, what he is enthusiastic about; and none of it is good or beneficial except to him, his family and a few billionaires. Has this team of Editors not listened or read his tweets?
"Press the President"? What fantasy is this?
Trump has no idea what he's interesting in- unless-until someone else tells him and we already know his thought processes are aligned with the folks at "FOX."
Hopefully Democrats will finally decide to stop trying to get people to like them (the Sally Field's syndrome) and be a united unwavering bulwark against tyranny.
1
Balance the budget first!
That’s the mother of all the rational decisions. All the idiotic polices like waging the endless wars overseas and the export of the US industrial base to China and India is financed by the national debt.
Taxing the population in order to receive the benefits they demand will force us to act in a smart and constructive way again, free of greed and short-term thinking.
Balancing the federal budget is the most important long-term decision this country could ever make.
Of course, there is going to be the pain associated with this step. The ballooning stocks and Wall Street gurus will suddenly deflate and our imaginary wealth disappear.
However, if a skyscraper is on the unstable foundation, the most important decision is to stop raising it more and more because such a policy just puts the extra pressure on the weakest link and enlarges the worst structural fault.
The choice we face as a country is whether we are capable of evacuating such a dangerous building in orderly fashion or we are going to sit inside and wait on the collapse of the utopian economic system that might destroy us.
It is the either-or decision. The future of your kids depend on it.
Sorry. To continue to play bipartisan politics is just what the Republicans want.
We have to get down to their level. And to prove we have the power to do so, the immediate demand of the President's tax returns should be first in the agenda. The democrats could tell the country that knowing them would put their fears at rest on many of the other suspicions America has about the president and ease even the minds of republicans. And if the taxes are false, then we would have to decide if we were America or a banana republic where a dictator rules.
However what I believe will happen is now that Trump has real fears about any ongoing more invasive investigation and he will fire Rosenstein and Sessions and install compliant lackeys who will trash can the work of Robert Mueller so it will never see the light of day. And he will do this within 60 days before the new Congress convenes so he doesn't get any flak from the present Congress.
@Tom there is dirt on Rod, they are going to can him.
No more dark money. Ban 501C4's. Make all contributions transparent, either for the candidate, or for policies that support one side. Get rid of the electoral college, make it popular vote. Ban propaganda news outlets like FoxNews.
5
We citizens have a two year respite, well maybe 1 year. The Democrats are the worst political party in the world, except for the Republicans. That means Democrats have time to fix things, the Republicans don't, they are stuck with Trump.
First, Democrats won but it was no wave, so add up the votes and see if they would have won the presidency, find strengths and weaknesses. The Democratic party has gotten to vague on their identity. They felt tailwinds in 2016 instead of the real division looming. Now they have to return to being the party of the working middle class. Divisive issues like guns and abortion should not be the first priority. Diffusing division, finding answers to working middle class security, and rational approach to business/labor relations and of course rational health care costs and working to roll back some of the anger that "conservatives" feel toward "liberals". Transparency,honesty, civility and the new leadership you advocate must be the tone.
The second thing that has to happen is a rehabilitation of the Republican voter. They are still out there and seem angry and stubborn. They have to be wooed back to rationality and civility. Another Trump term would be unthinkable and those voters need to be assured that Democrats are not their enemy.
1
The NYT at it's finest.
I'm a long term subscriber of the NYT and I really value the so-called "left wing" perspective that you bring to the table, despite the fact that I very much lean Republican on economic issues. I am an investment banker after all...
But as an Australian, very much detached from the day to day of the USA, and as a nation that truly respects the USA and desires that it maintain it's hegemony in the world, I wholeheartedly endorse the tone of this editorial.
I think it was balanced and fair, and if the USA basically followed the Trump economic strategy (with some more sharing of the pain - because let's face it Trump's instinct was right...he should've pressed ahead with a tax hike for the rich as part of that tax bill), and some of the Democrats' more sane ideas around fairness, providing for the less well off and renewable energy, the USA should Become Even Greater!
But currently there is too much vitriol in the US system and it is directly impacting ordinary Australians because our politicians think it's OK to mimic the, quite frankly, hysterical atmosphere of the USA. And I'm not liking it...
Please fix that for us, because where you go, we go.
And I, and most likely the majority of the democracies in the world basically want the USA as our leader. So don't let us, your friends, down!
2
@Richard Song
Is anything more self-insulting and self-depreciating than wanting somebody else as your leader? If they are really great then you want to steal their founding principles and become even better than they are. That's at the very core of the humanity - the universal desire for the progress...
As an immigrant myself, I ask the Democrats to pick a winning strategy.
I think DACA is a loosing strategy for most Americans. Most Americans are worried about paying their own bills - make sure they understand you are on their side first.
Start with healthcare, wages, and ethics.
That's already a lot for two years.
3
Infrastructure? There isn't enough workers left after the private sector hires. Hey, what about that migrant force?
2
Quick thought...it is incumbent upon leadership in the house to bring the new members into the fold and reward them with inclusive consideration. At the same time, Nancy Pelosi et al have seen it all and can put together a comprehensive agenda that has a chance to get something done. Keep your eyes on the real tiger and not the paper tiger in the White House.
Now what?
Now we dump the duplicitous, accommodationist, conservative-lite, corporate shill leadership of the Democrats in Congress.
We replace them with actual liberals. Not all hair-on-fire, tear-it-down ideologues, but real, energetic, functioning American-style liberals. Like in the 60s, maybe...late 60s.
We turn over Democrat Central and dump all the chicken-hearted, play-it-safe-like-you're-playing-dead apparatchiks who forgot how to do campaigning and political messaging forty years ago.
And we get to work, now, finding a viable and exciting Democrat candidate to give us back the White House.
Its not The Bern. No. It's not Biden. And its not all the well-known,central casting, aspirational Democrat women now shoving each other around in the quest for position.
We need somebody really good Americans have not already been conditioned to despise. Someone with a fresh, and a powerful message.
Right after breakfast.
"Democrats need to be ready to make a cogent case — persuasive to the public as well as the courts — for why Mr. Trump’s taxes are a matter of critical concern."
AS IF that case has not already been made. Anyone who still thinks that Trump is not in this to enrich himself and his family is delusional
1
In other words, Democrats should ignore the base and listen to the same Democratic party establishment, typified by the Times editorial board. which brings us repeated cycles of revulsion with the Democratic party, betraying its claimed ideals in the person of an Obama or Clinton.
Is the prospect of actual liberalism so terrifying that these Democrats would rather be thrown out of power every 4 or 8 years, to incur a Trump or a GWB? Then, repeat?
Who knew that a decent social safety inspired such terror on Park Avenue?
I can't believe the editorial board is talking about policy with regard to the Democrats winning a House majority. That's pretty naive, and probably the furthest thing from their minds. It's going to be all about Trump, which is achingly sad, but necessary. It will be a very rough and nasty couple of years, but we'll get through it.
Why not Adam Schiff for house speaker? He's been very impressive in his role on the House Intelligence Committee. He is respected and very articulate.
2
Release tax returns, protect Mueller and NO Wall!
5
Oh yes, give us DACA at last. And fast. Maybe take a moment to highlight our Presidents lies and cruelty in that regard.
Highlight as in show the Presdient's compassionate reassurances, the promises, the cruel reversals and the outright lies. A lot. Show them without vituperation or comment. Just keep them out there.
But DO NOT CAVE ON THE WALL.
Do that, my hapless Democrats, and you will have lost the game, and the next few elections.
You don't have to say a word. Just quietly do not build the qwall.
In fact, the less you say the better. Let the Right prattle impotently on for a change. You can take it.
There is no restraint or honor in the Republican Party - look at Brian Kemp in Georgia! - but the advice for Democrats is still to act reasonable. Elections are openly rigged, lies are plainly repeated and how much longer until there is more violence? But by all means, don't rock the boat.
Still, you can't govern only on outrage and bluster, as we've seen. Pass laws:
1. Health care
2. Voting Holiday
3. Lift the prohibition on recreational drug use
4. Tax restoration act (tax the rich again), restore tax credits
Do like the Republicans and hold these votes even when they won't pass the cavemen in the Senate. IMO don't fall into the culture war trap until the economics and elections are better. Either you build patiently or you lose.
It is quite possible that Trump now will fire Jeff Sessions before the Dems take charge of the House in January and force the new AG to snatch all the papers from Mr. Mueller and burn them.
That's why I hope another "Deepthroat" will divulge shocking revelations about Trump's collusion with Russia.
Although Ex-F.B.I. agent Mark Felt has deceased but maybe a true patriot will come before the congress and reveal everything like Howard Dean did in 1973-'74.
Yes, it was Mr. Dean who told Dem led congress then that president Nixon was hiding lot of recorded tapes in the basement of the White House containing his direct role in the Watergate scandal.
Now we want another Mr. Dean or Mr. Felt to tell us where exactly is the tape that Mr. Comey alluded to which he hinted in his book,
If we all recall that the tape that the ex- F.B.I. Director listened to before he was fired by Trump was about a conversation between Trump's National Security Director Mike Flynn and the Russian Ambassador to U.S. Mr. Kislyak that F.B.I. Agents recorded through a bug placed in the Russian Embassy in Washington, not in Trump Tower that Trump accused Obama for without any proof.
I'm sure that the above tape has Trump's voice in the background instructing Mr. Flynn to tell his Russian counterpart that he'd lift all the sanctions once he ascended to the throne.
No wonder Russia for some unknown reasons didn't put any retaliatory sanctions on U.S. that they always do after we put sanctions on them.
The Democrats have regained America's House and is now challenged to regain its Seats.
Let us never succumb to complacency; let us unite to take back Democracy from the Mob; and while the Nation remains conflicted, the sun has risen and is shining bright on The Statue of Liberty on this day of truth, where millions of Americans walked in the rain, showing belief in our Constitution.
Together, we go forth, and will continue to do better in the face of adversity, fake news and warped vision.
Thanking our indicators for keeping us on the straight path, and united we stand, as True Americans.
This all seems like wishful thinking to this lifelong Democrat. There are are only two things the Democratic House can do: end the Trump trade war by reasserting the House's Constitutional right to set tariffs; and act as a "check and balance" to executive overreach, their other Constitutional responsibility. Legislation is a non- starter since the Senate and the Executive also must approve it. However, a Democratic House can ensure that social programs like Obamacare, Medicaid and Medicare are protected and, as you note, attempt to create bipartisan legislation. With both Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that seems very unlikely. They most likely will continue to govern from the no compromise hard-right and paint the Democratic House as obstructionists in the runup to the 2020 election.
"This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Winston Churchill after the battle of El Alamein.
Obstruction for obstruction's sake may sound like good payback, but it is bad politics. And just responding the Trump initiatives lets him set the agenda. What the House Democrats need to do is to put on the table, immediately, real proposals for election reform, improving health care payments, infrastructure, etc. And, most importantly, immigration reform on their terms.
Perhaps they die in the Senate. Perhaps they pass and Trump takes full credit for them. But in either case they will show people what the Democrats stand for, which is more important than what they stand against.
Finally, we need new leadership in the House. A good start would be to pair each leader and committee chair (thankfully not "ranking member") with one or two quite younger members, who would gradually take over that role.
And, above all, take impeachment off the table, unless the President shoots someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue!
2
there will be a learning curve for many new untried legislators. you don't walk into the House and get universal healthcare and tuition waivers. You build on what's already in play. Leader Pelosi has the legislative experience to prioritize and whip the votes. A few tweaks to the ACA like advertising and funding health care enrollment will get us moving.
2
Well written, if I may summarize it.
Don't run an identity obsessed, east coast liberal, never met a trade agreement, wall street banker, war I did not like campaign like Hillary did.
If they follow your advice, dems have a great chance of adding the Senate and WH in 2020.
If not they have an excellent chance of handing the three branches to the republicans.
3
I loathe Trump, but hope with every fiber of my being that the Dems do not go down the Impeachment path. It would tie up the government, cost millions in taxpayer dollars, end up being a slap on the wrist even if it succeeded (no way would a GOP controlled Senate convict him), and set Trump as a martyr for all of his supporters quite possibly handing him a second term. What the Dems must do is govern, as the editorial says, and focus on making Trump a one-term POTUS!
25
Absolutely excellent recommendations, Board.
Congratulations democratic party, and the nation.
House democrats, every morning before work, over the next two years, please read, then re-read, this editorial. Then begin to reconnect with republicans and find common ground in moving forward.
Let's get to work.
4
This is such a sensible commentary and hope my fellow Democrats see the wisdom in it.
While I respect her for her service, I have long thought that Ms Pelosi should step aside and let the next generation of leaders ascend in the party. However, one would hope that she is not not going to use her new position to enhance her political future but use her experience as a guide to being sensible in bringing about the changes that need to take place.
2
There are a number of issues, affairs and personality that inflame Republicans and Democrats; Abortion, gun-control, jobs, trade/economic development, China, Russia, Trump, McConnell, Schumer, Cruz, Feinstein, defense spending, border and immigration control, voter suppression, health care, taxes, education, and the budget to name a few.
What the Democrats must learn how to do is navigate through the issues without causing further division. They must learn how to govern as the baby boomers leave the scene. Dems must offer more than bitter reposts to Republican intransigence and demagoguery. They must offer viable alternatives and deep understanding of the differences between cities, suburbs, and rural areas. And they must be effective and bring governance not the bitterness of the dead-locked government of Washington today.
Frankly, I'm not sure that the Dems can do this. The Republicans have learned how to paint liberals and progressives with labels that cannot easily be changed. Donald Trump exploited the weakness of Democrats and all the left out deplorables and others left behind by trade and economic and tax policy that hurt millions of former middle class voters. Each side views the other as an adversarial demon and not a potential partner.
If Democrats cannot control the House and govern effectively Mr. Trump will be victorious in 2022. We will also fail the American people.
Democrats, you have the House. Now, think and organize before you speak and act.
3
All good advice, but you forgot a few things:
1. Develop a clear message and one or two focus points and STICK TO THEM. Trump hammers at one theme - immigration - and masterfully defines himself by it. Democrats are terrible at messaging in ways that resonate to Middle America. Fix it.
2. Legislate protections for Robert Mueller and his team. Within his findings may rest presidential criminal activity. If we are to restore the rule of law, we must first prevent Trump from unilaterally circumventing it by firing Mueller. This should be an early priority.
3. Focus on early legislation that resonates with MOST Americans, such as health care and the price of prescription drugs. Sensible compromise on immigration laws. Election reform. Climate change. Protect our pocketbooks and our grandchildren.
4. Finally, resist the urge to punish the Republicans for their cheating ways. Be bipartisan and attempt to move your agenda forward with some Republican support. If the Republican Senate rejects all of it, this becomes a powerful reason for sensible Republicans to repudiate their own in 2020.
2
Also start with the Senate immigration bill passed by the Senate and start from there. Propose lower payroll taxes but in all income and cut employer paid taxes but not below what would stabilize SS and Medicare. Propose government funded very high deductible ($10-20K per 1-2 yrs)health insurance and have the insurance companies and Medicaid work in the lower cost. Protect preexisting conditions and charge insurance companies for. POST existing conditions. Simpler, cheaper, market based, and doesn’t have Democrats tying themselves to the expensive parts of Obama care and starts to separate insurance from employers.
I can't help but look at Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut and their Republican Governors and wonder how this has escaped the attention of the punditry.
Perhaps the voters of these very liberal New England States understand that the United States of America needs a time out from global leadership to reflect on what it is.
I remember Jacob Javitts, Nelson Rockefeller and George Romney and a political party that represented policies not a narrow vision of a frightened and angry portion of white America.
Just about the time that the GOP was taken over by conservatives, right wing populists and libertarians Quebec had its quiet revolution. We threw out the old ultra conservative guard and instituted a liberal democracy. It took fifty years to develop a 21st century economy that works well for our population and the entrepreneurs who have more than filled the void left when the large global corporations and financial institutions left Quebec for greener pastures.
Our economy is booming, we are optimistic about our future we see refugees as potential Quebecers.
America is divided by walls stronger that steel and will only come together if the lies of 50 years are rendered moot. America needs high taxes and strong government for now so that 50 years of the cult of low taxes and corporate control that has crippled individual freedom can be remedied. America needs to get back to improving and evolving the American dream and needs government of the People.
This election is nothing more than the 'exhausted middle' voting for change, voting for moderation. If those elected this cycle do not produce, do not show leadership and try to unify, their parties will be punished in 2020. The powerful middle block voters are tired of this stuff and want to see progress.
They don't care about Trump's taxes or impeachment or investigative committee's unless you can show some kind of REAL substance.
They do care about healthcare, about the deficit, about infrastructure, about immigration policy.
Give us a DACA bill that includes border security funding. Give us a budget that cuts spending. Give us some healthcare cost controls that make sense. Give us an infrastructure bill that is not heavily dependent on federal spending only. Get strong bipartisan support on these and dare the Senate to reject them or Trump to veto them.
Swing voters will punish folks that do not advance common sense bi-partisan policies.
2
Agree and only one thing will warrant impeachment would be clear obligations of Trump to Putin and if Pence doesn’t kick him out at that point impeach Pence and at least the House will have a vote on VP.
Shore up: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; the Volker Rule; the fiduciary requirement; electoral security. Force Big Pharma to stop gouging U.S. citizens. Expand investigations into the Secretary of the Interior; Secretary of Commerce; Energy Secretary and EPA Administrator and Secretary of Transportation. Publicize widely the results of Robert Mueller's investigation into possible collusion during the 2016 election.
2
The Democratic house should pass the following bills to demonstrate what they stand for:
infrastructure
immigration reform
campaign finance disclosure
voting rights act
progressive taxation.
McConnell will not bring any of these to the floor of the Senate, but they all have widespread support and can demonstrate what the Democrats could do as the governing party.
2
Good news! Suprising however, how many voters went for the incendiary speech of the ultra conservatives and the president. The question is, in about one year's time when presidental campaigns start, is it going to get worse or will the split governance inspire some civility?
1
Pick your battles, indeed: push legislation to improve the lot of the middle class and upgrade America's infra- and super-structures. Get that legislation through the House and let America see it stall and die in the GOP Senate. In the meantime, investigations into Individual-1 and his corrupt administration must be done carefully and thoroughly, not with an eye to impeachment but rather with the 2020 presidential election in mind. Be the adults in the room, but be angry adults with a forceful agenda and with behavior-changing punishment.
Can somebody ask Mr Donald Trump to release his tax returns , please ?
Thank you .
5
Now Donald Trump will start socializing a new "Enemy of the People" - the house of Representatives of Congress.
We got something and I hope it is all we need to get rid of the garbage presidency. This country cannot exist on a diet of trump junk food, racism and voter suppression. If you are happy about any republican win, you do not respect America.
Democrats need to shut up. go to work, pass legislation that addresses Americans' concerns. Like health care. Infrastructure. Campaign finance reform. Education to retrain workers who cannot find good paying jobs. Pass the bills,send them on, and if they are not passed in the Senate and/or are vetoed by Trump, point out the Republicans are not willing to help. The key here is NOT to sit and whine. The key is to point out and pass solutions that will help. Then in 2020 they will have a body of work to run on. Not just pointing fingers. And yes, there should be investigations of improprieties such as all the trademarks awarded Ivanka, emoluments violations, conflicts of interests. No need to double down on the Russia investigation. If Trump fires Mueller.....get the work Mueller has done to that point and take over the investigation from there. They have 2 months to get ready. Come out of the gate running, all prepared and ready to go. Smiling.
1
What a cowardly article!
How about:
1. Fight for improving the lives of the American people
2. Defend the Constitution and the rule of law
3. Restore good governance and oversight and eliminate corruption
2
It is still "the economy stupid" and the Democrats need to tackle Infrastructure first. Good paying jobs, Health benefits for all and preserving the social safety net will all be possible with Infrastructure projects. It was the WPA that saved the country during the Great Depression and it will be Infrastructure projects that will give the struggling middle class and those on the lower income strata a chance to gain a secure economic foothold in this country.
Then a small sub-committee to handle the review of Trump's taxes. It should be bi-partisan. There are just as many Republicans as Democrats who want to see this cleared up.
The growing deficit should be tackled as well. Before another Depression hits us.
And, last but not least, protect Mueller's investigation. This will prove once and for all whether or not Trump and his campaign committed crimes against the United States.
This is enough work to get done in two years.
2
Now, the part needs to build a path to take the White House in 2020 and control of the Senate.
Trump lies 24/7 and his supporters believe anything he says.....
No backstabbing, just build for future
If the Senate was more representative of the total population, we wouldn’t have to rely on the House as much as we do. Here’s a radical idea: combine states until they reach a threshold of parity with the more populated states. So, for example, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming would have two Senators between them. The Founders could not have envisioned the lopsided distribution of voters that soon will have 30% of the population controlling 70% of the Senate seats.
3
Now why would they do that? If you want to change things suggest something that can get done. Steady increase in House size to double. Make all House seats at large unless there is a minimum(increasing) voter participation and that can be done by law. Then people will all encourage voters to maintain some sort of incumbency and would temper the Electoral College effect.
@Wayne
Yeah, sure, that is more realistic. Lol.
@Kendall Zeigler
Well it can be proposed and can be passed by the House and I meant state by state at large . No state would do what you suggest and they would have to approve. Coming up with ideas that may improve Democracy should be on the Democrats agenda. It would not leave gerrymandering issues to the courts. It's bold but isn't targeted at anyone. One could also propose a Constitutional amendment to increase Senate seats to 3 conditional on the larger House. Add one HOuse and Senate seat for DC and for Puerto Rico IF they want it. May get some traction on that. At least some thinking
In politics, Democrats are like the Boy and Girl Scouts while Republicans are like the Mafia. The GOP plays to win, takes no prisoners and doesn’t mind getting blood on their hands. This is why they they control all branches of government and control most of the money. Cheat, lie, steal and laugh all the way to the bank. Trump and Trumpism is wrong, dangerous and needs to be stopped using all legal means possible. Nice guys finish last. As Merrick Garland.
2
Taking political advice on what the Democratic Party should do or not do to be effective/successful for the American public from the NYT's Editorial Board, the brain trust that helped foist on American voters the divisive, politically toxic Hillary Clinton while simultaneously doing all in their power to sabotage the campaign of the most electrifying candidate Bernie Sanders? Yeah, that's the ticket. Dear Editorial Board: Please don't give up your day jobs, whatever that might be.
1
You are missing the obvious successor to Pelosi - Tim Ryan from blue-collar Youngstown who ran against her for House minority leader. By not including him in your list, you column clearly lacks insight into who could be most effective with white, male, middle class workers. If arrogant Pelosi is not removed, the Democrats might as well concede to Trump in 2020
1
I guess the Editorial Board slept through Civics 101. Trump as President, has the power to veto a bill, and like Obama, issue Presidential Orders. Welcome to round 2.
Given Pelosi’s demonic nature, it is extremely doubtful that anything of substance will be put forth by the Democrats. She cannot control her legion of flying monkey, let alone do anything constructive.
One thing they can do is investigate voter suppression in states like Georgia.
2
Rahm Emanuel surely has no room to talk given his abysmal history.
Dear New York Times Editorial Board: Put a sock in it.
"Don't go crazy over subpoenas?" Really?
Americans require a thorough accounting of the sleazy, unethical, self-dealing and illegal behavior of virtually every Trump Cabinet member; the first round of subpoenas must have Donald Trump's name atop.
Reaching across the aisle; for what? To get one's arms severed?
The new Democratic controlled House of Representatives does not need another round of tepid "be nice" advice. They need to surgically remove the Gangrene from the Body Politic and the first order will be to name someone not named Nanci Pelosi.
She's from my state but we need someone with the backbone to tell House Republicans; 'You Aren't In Charge."
Now, let's protect Mueller and the RussiaGate investigation, allow it to finish and let the chips fall where they will. Tick, tock, Trump.
1
Dems also need to learn how to clearly articulate their positions and what it means to citizens, in emphatic, clear, sound-bite-ready format.
1
If there's one thing NYTimes op-ed economist Paul Krugman has stressed over and over and over again, it's to not call disbursing funds for fixing bridges, tunnels, etc (infrastructure) spending; it's to call it "INVESTING". (because it gives a return). Please, NYT, take your own Krugman to heart.
Trump is a target rich environment.
2
It's a little after 6:00 AM.
My stomach was in knots as I clicked on my computer.
Why would that be? It's just an election.
This one was different.
We're not talking about two political parties--like two basketball teams. When you son is playing on one.
We're talking about ONE more-or-less regular political party that's been around for two hundred years. Jefferson called it the Democrat-Republican party. Older writers would call it the Democracy.
And--the other party. The GOP. USED to be a more-or-less regular political party. Way back when. USED to have liberals in it--can you believe that? I grew up hearing the names of Nelson Rockefeller (in my home state of New York)--names of Charles Percy (of Illinois, where I was born) and Mark Hatfield (of Oregon--never been there).
They are now--what? An enormous special interest group, kneeling at the shrine of great wealth--
"Good morning to the day, and next my gold.
Open the shrine that I may see my saint." ("Volpone")--
--and looking upon huge swaths of non-white America with narrowed and suspicious eyes--
--hoping to perpetuate what is basically an oligarchy--
--by any means possible.
And--yes! SO MANY REPUBLICANS--on a day-to-day level--are simply not like that. They are kindly--charitable--decent--honest.
But the GOP leadership!
Oh no. Not a chance. No way, Jose.
I wish the Dem's had taken the Senate too.
But the House'll do. Oh yes! The House'll do.
Thank you, Lord.l
Nancy Pelosi has been dealt a raw deal by the republicans, but needs to realize she has been a good leader and has the responsibility to groom a new leader and to turn over the gavel within two years.
trump and his criminal hoards need to be dealt with by the legal system not the House. House investigations need to flush out those crimes and be sure that the evidence goes to a capable prosecutor so the public has the satisfaction of seeing white collar criminals locked up.
E-Verify must be the law of the land for all hiring. If any employer is found to be hiring illegals, they need to pay a stiff financial price. This will do more to solve the Dreamer problem than anything else. Prosecute employers taking advantage of illegals and you will soon have a legal means to allow those employees to stay in the country.
Support Mueller or his successor has strongly as possible but let them prosecute the case against trump and his co-conspirators. Let the orange clown king twist slowly over the fire of a potential jail sentence and bankruptcy without allowing him a political target to shoot at.
The country has given itself a reprieve from the path toward fascism. Dems, please don't blow it.
367
@kirk
Yes, Pelosi must go; soon. We progressives want her out. She collects lots of money but she must pay the price for that; supporting her donors who are wealthy and do not want medicare for all, do not want unions and want to keep fossil fuels burning away night and day.
Where I come from that is called corruption. There can be no progress away from the 1% running the country, the corporations running the country or that horrid wealth disparity in this country. And the low wages and the..................
11
@kirk
There is no case against Trump. We would have heard by now.
4
@LMJr
Bob Mueller’s team does not leak.
15
Yes, many support the Dreamers, but NOT the everyone gets in policy of the Democrats. There has to be true compromise. Eliminate family preferences for other than minor children. Accept that Trump has the right to end "Temporary" protected status which goes on forever. Change the law on refugees, make it that if there is a US Embassy or Consulate in their home country, they must apply there.
1
Let’s hope that the Dems heed this advice. Otherwise the progress made this election may be for naught come 2020.
Points well taken. The Democrats now have the House by a margin of... one. Talk about having to "herd cats" if they're going to do anything as a unified block! If they'd won a substantial majority they dynamic would be different as the hoped-for "blue wave" would have given them. But it hasn't. At worst expect an acrimonious squandering of the next two years. At best (gasp) a return to bi-partisanship, something that's been sorely lacking. Time will tell.
1
It is still a divided nation. We need a return to constructive bipartisan policies. Although they may be difficult to achieve the only way forward is for this to happen. I am afraid that nothing will be achieved over the next two years because of the congressional fracture. There will be no real budget and no real accounting of anything except rancor. The nation needs healing not division.
"Of course, even if the president is interested in chalking up a few bipartisan wins, the Republican Senate is unlikely to play along."
After such ugly midterm elections, who is the Board kidding?
In two years, Donald Trump has shown zero interest in finding real bipartisan solutions to real challenges.
His fallback always is to blame Democrats any time they refuse to support presidential proposals that would require them to violate their core belief.
in political time, the Democrats have a nanosecond to inject some sanity into a political climet in sore need of it.
Let's hope they realize that the race isn't always to the swift but to the measured.
.
275
@ChristineMcM
I’m not interested in sitting through another 2 years of impotent bickering amongst a bunch of baby boomer partisans who’ve led their generation in making America an international laughingstock and subverting all the success and progress of their parents’ generation. Either both sides need to start serving the interests of the young gen X, millennials, and gen y’ers or we should just do away with Medicare for 20 years, let the Boomers’ age do our work for us, and build a functional nation then.
6
@ChristineMcM
For real. That pivot is NEVER going to happen. The Republicans are never going to change their ways until they are punished for it at the polls.
10
@ChristineMcM
Yes but Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin are both gleefully guffawing this morning.
Trump has once again summoned the worst demons of our nature.
3
Does that mean impeachment is off the table now that the Democrats have won control of the House?
Speaker Pelosi, let your caucus know that the 'I' word is off the table for good. You will never get conviction in the Senate, and set the table for Trump's reelection. Remember the words of that great American philosopher Vito Corleone; "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."
Right! Just one look at political map of the US shows how weak the Democrat's grasp actually is. It's time we show rural areas that we are intent on leading, inspiring and being fair. As much as I would love to bury Trump and his cohorts we need to prove to all Americans that the Democratic party is THE party that truly represents everyone's interests.
5
@John from PA
I agree with your sentiments, but urge caution about reading a map tha privileges territory over population/ actual people.
Those blue enclaves are a majority of voters. Unfortunately, structural and ideological plaque from the Framers waters down urban areas voices in favor of rural. This has to change: one person, one vote; end gerrymandering; publicly funded campaigns; 6 week campaigns vs 2 years; ranked, multi rep districts. This would be a welcome start.
Watch out Dems
Everything is setup perfect for the grand bargain to cut “reform” entitlements.
How so?
The Dems will not be able to control the needed moderate Dems in the House or Senate, thereby, a “Grand Bargain” will pass. The Dems don’t have the #s to lose any moderates.
We lose.
McConnell has made the GOP’s plan clear; he’ll be able to claim it’s all bipartisan and we had an election.....
Done deal
Excuse me. Nancy Pelosi has been the, THE, most effective fundraiser for others, up-and-coming Democrats, for years. She’s an amazingly effective leader of our caucus, and has been for years.
How is that not grooming and supporting younger Ds, and succession planning?
Be explicit. What else should she do, apart from cede the floor? And if that’s the requirement, why? Ageism? Sexism? Which is it?
Any other requirements?
4
The reality will probably be that for the next two years nothing will get through the House and Senate. That doesn't mean nothing will get done. Democrats should think about what they want to run on in two years and what large majorities of Americans want, then they should craft sound legislation and send it to Mitch McConnell to defeat and then defend in 2020. Let the ridiculous claim by Trump and Republicans that they will protect those with pre-existing conditions be their guide.
In terms of investigations, Democrats should go after corruption. There is little doubt that this is one of the most corrupt administrations in recent history and their is a lot of low hanging fruit. Expose it and leave Trump with the responsibility of defending it in 2020. Whoever runs against Trump in 2020 should be given ample evidence that Trump's is one of the most corrupt administration in history.
2020 should be about corruption in Trumps administration and the Senate blocking every bill that would help the bottom 90%.
1
Now what? Let's get ethical.
We need to turn the interest away from money and towards ethical behavior.
That's what.
Now what?
The Democrats need to stop playing checkers and start playing chess.
Trump is not the prize.
The prize is reminding the American people about what makes this country really great. It's because we, as a society, enable people, anyone, to make a better life for themselves and their families
There is nothing more American than making sure that everyone has a chance.
Loading the dice may be commonplace, but, it is not American. After all, isn't Capitalism supposed to be the survival of the fittest? If it's only the survival of the most well connected. Well? They're hardly the fittest are they? Only the most ruthless. Which, in the end, makes them the biggest low-lifes of them all. Am I right?
Never mind the bollucks...
The issue IS Trump because Trump has denigrated and disrespected our own country so much in the past two years that if we rid ourselves of Trump we can again regain the respect of the rest of the world we so recently have lost only because of him.
Everything now will hinge on Mueller. If it's a bombshell--then it's a bombshell.
Trump will work quickly to fire Sessions and Rosenstein so he can put in someone that he has preselected to throw the investigation into the trash can. He has 60 days to do this and he will. Guaranteed. The Republican led Congress failed to pass a law protecting Mueller and his work from this. Trump will act to protect himself like a cornered rat and strike back.
Unfortunately, the Times is likely right regarding impeachment. That doesn't change the fact that Trump is an unindicted co-conspirator who committed felonies by violating campaign finance laws, and, absent those violations, likely would not be president. And in today's political climate, that's OK. Somewhere, Nixon is rolling in his grave, rightly observing that he was simply a politician ahead of his time.
Stalemate? Ha, ha, Ross, you don't understand. This is not a stalemate. The Democrats are rolling and they are going to roll through to 2020.
Your advice seems intended to slow the Democrats' momentum. I think they'd do better not to listen to you.
The already slim chances to impeach Trump have evaporated barring a Mueller report containing serious criminal charges.But Democrats are kidding themselves thinking Trump will work with them on anything significant.
Democrats need to offer new legislation to help the Middle Class (read healthcare, student debt relief including the right to file for bankruptcy, increases in social security retirement payments, immigration reform, infrastructure, and more). And discuss how increased spending is possible, why deficits can be useful or harmful, and when inflation can become a problem requiring spending reductions or increased taxation. (Here read almost anything by economist Stephanie Kelton in her in the NYT or her Bloomberg column).
Butting checking Trump’s damage to our social and political norms, to the environment, and to our world allies is just as important.He’s a bully who must be constantly opposed, and denied a second term.
1
@mw a bully? whom has he bullied? you mean he didn't play patty-cakes with North Korea? he stopped playing games with NATO about fair payments? seems to me, Trump is strong and unliked by you, thus a bully. Kavanaugh was installed into the supreme court no matter how much lies, hate, hype and slander were thrown at him, Trump refused to be swayed by it. "he must be constantly opposed.." of course, no matter how much good he does for America or Americans, (looked at the economic numbers lately? unparalelled) you don't care..oppose him. sounds to me like you would like to be the bully.
One of the first orders of business is to subpoena Trump's tax returns. We need to know to what extent the president is compromised by his business dealings with the Russians. It's responsible governance.
@Chad why bother? the IRS has full copies of all of them. anything illegal would have been pounced on very quickly.
My prescription: 1. The substance: Infrastructure, Healthcare, Wages, Education, Gun Violence, Campaign Finance reform, real tax reform including more progressive tax code, environment. 2. The style: No need to match Trump's style, but have to 'beat' him so that he does not walk away with the credit. 3. Let Mueller do his job. Don't get carried away with impeachment rage. 4. Address the enormous increase in 'inequality of opportunity' and prepare America to stay great for generations.
1
Yesterday's election was the political equivalent of the Battle of Midway for the Democrats. Outnumbered in every branch of government, they cracked the Republican's code and positioned their forces strategically and, while suffering some losses, positioned America to continue to pursue the effort to restore balance to the country and to the world.
It will still be an uphill battle to right the ship of state but the serious list to the right has been corrected.
2
Democrats were already talking about Trump's tax returns last night. The Times did a fantastic job of showing how Trump has used/abused tax laws to his and his family's benefit. As a great a public service as it was, it had no impact on Trump or the electorate. So what makes Democrats think that focusing on Trump's tax returns would help them in any way?
Nancy Pelosi coming back as Speaker is a double-edged sword. Yes, she is good at what she does, but she is also a lightning rod, though not nearly as bad as Gingrich. It would help if she kept a lower profile and helped put some of the young, charismatic members in key positions.
2
@RK, there is nothing to be had from Trump’s tax returns other than seeing a very limited view of the source of his income,m. They were not prepared with Turbo Tax!
Democrats in the House should be the voice of decency. Yes, pick the battles in order to win the war. Be the adults. Save Muller (somehow) and, please investigate WH corruption earnestly without the circus.
4
Nothing.
Dems didn’t win key races, so nothing changes.
The house is impotent without the senate.
2
Wrong! The endless investigations by the GOP of the Clinton's did nothing but help & continue to help the GOP. The Dems have repeatedly been the "adults" in the room who naively refuse to investigate & prosecute the crimes of administrations. As the GOP has shown there is zero advantage to rolling over & playing nice. Zero.
The Dreamers & immigration is not a winning strategy at all in most of the country. Focus on wages, health care, infrastructure, the environment & investigating The Con Man & every single cabinet member.
302
Agreed.
11
@June
Right on!
10
@June, you are absolutely correct. A policy of cooperation first and eventual capitulation will be seen as weakness by the GOP and just embolden them. They only understand strength. We need to wipe them out of existence through an endless stream of investigations about their real and ongoing crimes: Conspiracy with the Russians, selling policy to polluters and despots, emoluments, for a start. Obama blew it when he didn't investigate the Iraq war and financial crimes aggressively.
6
The lesson to learn is that holding the House, the Senate and the WH with a minority of the popular vote is precarious; you DO NOT have a mandate.
Democrats don't have a mandate either.
So the lesson should be that divisiveness is going to cost you elections. Work for the people not for corporations, for your own pocketbook, for your own power.
Democrats should work on finding solutions to healthcare - making it actually work for people, looking at ways to cut costs. They should not bother with impeachment, unless Mueller comes out with real proof of crimes, because the Senate will just kill it. They should shore up protections for the middle class - for air, water, our retirements, our healthcare.
And they should find a message that resonates.
And us voters? We should continue to punish legislators who betray us, while remembering that a winner take all approach is a betrayal of the nation. Fat chance we'll do that, but we should.
2
The democratic party's wresting control of the house from the republicans and gaining 6 governor's seats is a crushing defeat for Trump and the GOP who ran a horribly racist and xenophobic race that won them 3 seats in the senate but cost them a whole generation of women and minority voters. They have thugs, criminals and murderers in their ranks. It is very disappointing that McCaskill and Heitkamp lost since these were great democratic senators, but from the beginning it was clear that the democrats faced a very difficult map in the Senate. Heitkamp was hurt by the timing of the Supreme court nomination of Kavanaugh which was planned by Roberts and the GOP to give them the supreme court seat and an election issue to run on. The caravan was also planned by the GOP. The timing of these two,close to an election, is very suspicious. Beto's performance in Texas was heartening and he put up a great fight as did a couple of other Democrats in important races but it is still a red state. There is hope for Texas yet if the state does more for education and health care, causes that are important to Democrats -serving it's women and minorities in particular who voted in great numbers for Beto. Kemp won by suppressing voters and cheating and should probably be disqualified. Manchin provided an important lesson in a deeply red state. Democrats can win if they put up a solid candidate who is very popular in his state and understand the voters, even a conservative in a moderate party.
Democrats would undoubtedly have faired even better in these Congressional midterms if—
They had addressed the immigration problem during Obama's first two years—before they lost control of the House—instead of trying to overhaul health care with the band-aid known as the Affordable Care Act.
That mistake gave the divisive Trump a hot, red meat issue which has now cost Democrats, who knows how many votes and seats.
1
What will happen now?... probably not much in the way of legislation. Maybe a bill for infrastructure, maybe a few fringe adjustments around the edges of healthcare. But no major legislation has a chance, the Senate will shoot it down. All the House can do is investigate. Now when someone wants some files or information, they won't get the stall or be ignored. They should look into how this administration is and has profited personally from actions they have taken; corruption. They should take a look at Kavanaugh's lies during his hearings. Start going after Trump's taxes. I mean it's really all they can do. Make life as uncomfortable as they can for that joke in the White House. And depending on what Mueller comes up with, then impeach him. When it comes to the Russians all of them have lied. Pence, Sessions ... So look at them also.
As I said and it's obvious, any major legislation that's not ultra right will never make it through the Senate. The House should put things forth & publicize them, put the Senate on the defensive. One thing maybe they could get some traction on is changing Citizen's United to where all donors have to be public knowledge, disclosed, instead of keeping it secret. That way if the Russians or whoever is pumping billions into an election through some Pac, at least it will be public knowledge.... Investigate, Investigate. It's really all they can do.
2
Great advice. Keeping in mind that it's really all about he next election.
Joe
Trump is the worst US president ever. Nearly the whole educated world knows it. And the GOP has lined up behind him like robots.
Any credible opposition should have crushed the Republican candidates in this election, not just slightly increased their percentage of the House of Representatives, and hugely increased voter turnout rather than failing to even keep non-voters below 50%.
The Democratic Party establishment has failed America more seriously than ever before. Whether its "check" on Trump over the next two years is (typically) token and feeble, or credible and vigorous for a change, it stands to at best only slow his assault on America's democracy, safety and future. And its prospects for heading off successors to Trump, more power-hungry and politically adept, are slim.
Denial runs deep, but the handwriting is on the wall. The Democratic Party as we once knew it, a practical positive force for the nation, is moribund, and requires replacement if the country's slide into chaos, disorder and Orwellian funk is to be effectively recovered from. The GOP is unreformable, and needs to go too, but the Democrat Party has shown itself time and time again as being hopelessly incapable of even knowing where to begin to force such a process.
America desperately needs an all-out assault on the stranglehold of its decrepit and disastrous two-party duopoly, an end to hazing and denigrating of independent voters, ranked-choice voting, and restoration of basic civics education.
1
If democrats want to expand on their majority come 2020 and take back the White House. They must fight fire with fire, give no quarter, and leave Trump so politically damaged to the point that he rather resign than run for reelection.
The Democrats have a bad habit of doing the opposite of what this excellent editorial advises. Swing voters, exasperated by Republican excesses, turn to the Democrats who eke out a narrow win by using every compromise and stratagem. Democrats then totally misread the results, taking the victory as a mandate to go hog wild and hand the keys to the left wing. Just because election outcomes shift left that isn't a sign of a radically altered electorate. The people don't change that fast. Anybody telling you to abandon caution and lean into that opening isn't a friend giving good advice, they're a heckler urging you to get off balance and over-extended.
1
Bad advice.
What didn’t Republicans do? They didn’t accomplish anything. Accomplishment is passing smart bills and send them to the do nothing Senate and President.
Examples. A farm bill, a trade bill, military appropriations, corrections to Obamacare, a program for two years of free college or technical school education, an immigration bill with a guest worker program and a tax bill - throwing out the monster tax cut and putting in a couple higher tiers for those in the top one percent of income.
Make them popular with clever features so the public supports them, but Republicans are afraid to do nothing or do anything. They deserve the pressure of being asked to perform,
If Pelosi just wants to exact revenge, she is not the tight. Simple model - Republicans are talkers, Democrats doers. Americans are most impressed by smart actions with great results. On your marks, get set, legislate!
1
1. Roads. Bridges. Tunnels.
2. Healthcare.
3. Corruption.
4. DACA... with a side of drafting an update to the 14th Amendment to modify birthright citizenship the Democratic way. Nothing will sap Republican energy more than providing solutions to this perceived problem. Surveys will show that Democrats favor modification too.
Let Mueller do Mueller.
Don't talk impeachment until enough Republican Senators are at least privately on board to make it a reality.
1
My wish list includes the news organizations follow advice from Paul Krugman. Refute Trump's untruths. And please give air to the new congress vs repeating tweets from the White House.
1
No, it is actually time to open with impeachment. This is the time.
It would be very unwise if the Democrats start by introducing legislation to benefit illegal aliens branded as Dreamers. They should start by introducing legislation for single payer, lower drug prices, negotiated by the government, end of citizens united and infrastructure, and college debt in the first year, if they want a shot at the presidency in 20/20. The dreamers act should be second to the prior priorities and coupled with stricter border control and fencing of the border at least, if the wall is not wanted.
1
The Democrats need to play it straight and accomplish meaningful objectives that improve the nation. Let Mueller decide if Trump has been a bad boy, not the Democrats. On the other hand, the Democrats should keep their guard up and use their fists when appropriate which is a facet they have never been good at. It is time to learn because the GOP will not be very acquiescent.
1
For a start, there will be NO WALL built. The SALT deduction and corporate tax cuts should be rolled back. We cannot afford it with 21 trillion in deficits, or pass it to our kids and grandkids. Medicare, medicald and social security must be preserved. Needless defense spending must be slashed. Sending 15,0000 troops to the border to stop 1000 unarmed men, women and children, refugees, is totally irresponsible and extremely wasteful. Trump will continue to grossly abuse and misuse his power. His foundation and the businesses he is running while in power should be fully investigated. The chinese have granted waivers from tariffs to Ivanka's businesses. This is corruption and nepotism of the worst kind. Pre-existing conditions should be completely off the table from now on. 60 senate votes and approval from all state legislature should be required to repeal affordable care. It should be locked in place.
1
Election day is barely over, and everybody and their grandmother knows exactly what the Democrats should do for the next two years...
1
Now what? The dawn of a new bipartisan consensus with a charismatic president unifying a divided country? Or a divisive president running against a partisan House and a complicit Liberal Media?
Steve Bannon, if anyone cares to listen, explains Trump's strategy regularly, as does Anthony Scaramucci; Whip up as much negative media attention as possible, then run against the media (aka the opposition party). Now you can add the House; goad dems into investigating him and then run against the angry liberals and their enablers in the Fake News.
House democrats could run 100 investigations and find 99 clear-cut cases of corruption and wrongdoing, but the only thing FOX News will be talking about in 2020 is the one investigation that turned up nothing --- look at the angry liberals abusing their power, wah wah! Or the dems could be overly cautious and further depress voters who stood in line for hours to eek out a slim majority of seats despite an overwhelming majority of the vote. The I-word? There no point with a Trumpuplican majority in the Senate. This election consolidates Trump's power; it's lose-lose-lose for everyone else.
Now what? The end of the Grand Old Party, a Democratic Party increasingly running against the system and six more years of Trump.
An addition to your excellent suggestions for Democrats:
Stay in touch with your constituents! Get out & meet them. You don’t have to run tv ads but people will still read press releases you send to *local* papers, listen to you as a guest on radio, and even read an occasional print newsletter you mail out. Hold open to all town hall meetings.
Don’t wait till the next election to start doing this!
Also, make sure you reach out to what another candidate once called “a bunch of deplorables.”
Even if you polled poorly with that demographic, you still have the opportunity to ease their fears and consequent drift into stronger support for authoritarian leadership.
Remember the finding a couple years ago that low income whites were the *only* demographic to have an increase in mortality rates. Go out to meet them and talk about their concerns with them. Even if they disagree they’ll recall that at least you didn’t ignore and disrespect them.
1
Why do the Dems have to clean up another republican mess?
Go for it. Obama’s mistake was not prosecuting the Bush White House and the financial malfeasance of Wall Street. The banks should have failed, Bush, Cheney et al should be in prison.
Accountability. In the U. S. there is no accountability above $200,000.00!
The job is only 1/3rd done. The democrats cannot rest till they have also driven trump and the GOP out of the white house and senate. Trump and the GOP ran a horribly racist campaign with no ideas whatsoever and met with a crushing defeat. Trump and the GOP won 3 seats in the senate,in deep red states, backed by david duke, white supremacists, nationalists and xenophobes, but have lost a whole generation of women and minority voters by attacking immigrants viciously, calling them terrorists, rapists, criminals, thugs, and drug runners. the demographics are heavily shifting towards the minorities and Trump and the GOP will pay a very heavy price well into the future.
There's an awful lot of red across that map of the US which says this isn't over. From my point of view, Democrats need to bite their tongues on any celebrations for starters, and then coalesce into a force equal to or greater than that which now holds the Senate and the Presidency.
The Democratic majority in the House means that they can suspend their two year disbelief that Trump actually said this or that, or did this or that and can instead call it out with facts and
policy from a position of power.
Democrats can be the adult in the room and put facts, reason, science, the common good, and the future back on the table. I wish them luck.
And now I need to figure out how I can be a better citizen going forward. Going forward...haven't felt that in long time. Feels pretty good.
234
@HSM work your local polling station. I helped 1705 people vote yesterday, from 5am through 10pm, as a judge. I have never been so sore, on my feet all those hours. Feels good.
7
@HSM
Enough virtue signaling! What the Democrats have to do is to turn out their vote - in every election. In the past, labor unions got out the vote for Democrats. We don’t have many labor unions any more - and we now have too many Republicans in office as a result. Democrats have to continue to organize and get out the vote. Voting wins elections - demonstrations and slogans do not. Democrats must register in larger numbers. Democrats must vote in every election.
4
@HSM
But the Russian flag unlike the all red flag of the former Soviet Union is only striped red, white and blue.
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is still smiling and smirking about his influence over his White House dummy pawn pet puppet.
1
What the Democrats need to do is target policies that Republicans would have a difficult time saying "no" to. Democrats need to accept Obamacare's failings. We have millions of uninsured Americans because they can't afford Obamacare. Everyone needs to quality for a subsidy so they can buy an insurance policy for a reasonable price. This gaping hole in Obamacare is affecting mostly independent contractors. Next, the Democrats need to realize that most Americans don't LIKE being on Medicaid, even if they qualify for it. There is a pride that comes with having your own policy that you choose and pay for. Get Americans off Medicaid. And do it by offering subsidies that make private insurance affordable. Finally, health insurance needs to be FAIR. It's not FAIR that a healthy person who doesn't qualify for a subsidy, has to pay MORE for health insurance than a drug addict who qualifies for a government subsidy or Medicaid. It's not right. The Democrats need to understand that fairness is just as much a part of social justice as having compassion for needy people.
1
Pay attention to your constituents, Dems. Town halls are a key to keeping those people who went door to door to put you in office. Start by getting back to the basic skills of listening to your constituents. You won the House because of small donations and public passion. That’s who you are.
436
@Llewis
Exactly. And don't just visit the 'friendly' areas of their districts, visit all areas/ constituents. Listen, and then explain simply and honestly what they will do to improve theirs lives - short-term and long-term.
13
Well now, the political landscape has shifted somewhat, as it usually does in these mid-term elections. However the tidal wave of blue that was expected and shouted about from the hills and valleys never arrived.
Yes, it is true that the House is now controlled by a Democratic majority but the Senate, the Senate remains firmly in the hands of responsible governors from the Republican party. The judicial selection process is firmly in control of conservatives who will pack that court for the next 25 years.
Trump already has two Supreme Court appointments with the expectation of more to come. Breyer is over 80 and Ginsburg is over 85.
Each side can claim victory.
Perhaps we can all hope they can work together for the benefit of all citizens of our country. Actually we all know that won't happen, perhaps we can hope they will warily eye each other up and not do too much damage.
2
The Democrats winning is for Europe and the world a good news, for sure.
The point is now the choice of priorities and the selection of experienced, clever leaders able to negotiate and conclude the best possible compromises with the Republicans and the POTUS to carry through them.
Democrats do not need trumpeting their limited success for too long. Instead, they have to start working on those priorities and the ways and means of relating and cooperating with the sensible
GOP politicians for the welfare of the American people.
This approach should insulate the populist ideology of the White House and constrain the reach of POTUS political leadership, which is a bit down for the House loss.
1
I agree! I agree with all the points made on this piece. The Dems should wait and see what happens with the Mueller investigation and not make it easy for Trump to have a target that will galvanize his supporters. All should be done for the good of the people no political payback. The House was given the mandate to be a check on Trump, not to roar, but to lead.
1
The Democrats first job should be to elect FRESH LEADERSHIP in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The result today, whilst positive for America and the entire world, proved again that Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer are tone deaf to the Americans the Democrats lost to Trump in 2016 and they lack the necessary strategic and persuasive skills to win back these voters.
They failed to articulate a firm but fair immigration policy that would have nullified Trump’s predictable pitches.
68
@Richard Mitchell-Lowe
1. Everybody knew that if the Democrats win the House, it's first of all thanks to Pelosi's leadership as Minority Leader, and secondly and as a consequence, she would become Speaker of the House. It is KNOWING this that the American people decided to give the House to th Democrats, so this is clearly also a personal victory for Pelosi.
2. Especially when the fight is hard, you need VERY experienced leaders, rather than trying to fight back using newcomers.
3. For more than a decade now it's Democrats, not Republicans, who push hard for immigration reform and who initiated all the bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bills out there. And to that, Obama added DACA.
If you're interested in a clearly articulated and "firm but fair immigration policy", maybe you could start reading those bills, for instance ... ?
That being said, time and again a handful of Republicans blocked such a bill, so it's highly probably that it will only be signed into law once "we the people" give the Democrats not only the House but also 60 Senators and the White House. But maybe Pelosi and Schumer will manage to convince Trump anyhow ... ? We'll see.
21
@Ana Luisa
Sorry, but I disagree. I voted Democrat to shift the balance of power in the House. I did not vote for Pelosi as Speaker and it's incorrect to assume that she will automatically become the Speaker.
It's time for new blood in the Democratic leadership of both the House and Senate. I didn't see where she was effective against Trump at all. If anything the Democratic side of the House has been pretty silent over the past two years.
I'm not advocating impeachment as that's not feasible with a Republican majority in the Senate as it will go nowhere even if the House votes to impeach. If the Democrats want to win the White House in 2020 they need to develop new younger leadership.
JFK spent 6 years in the House and 7 years in the Senate before becoming president.
We need people like him to lead the Democratic party or we may just see Trump win another term.
9
@VMG
As long as we're focusing on individuals and merely wonder whether they are "charismatic" and whether they can accomplish radical change overnight, we will end up losing.
The only way to obtain a government for the people is to finally accept that we need a government BY the people. That means candidates just like you and me, instead of people with high celebrity appeal and who look young and beautiful etc.
Getting rid of Trump and the GOP is perfectly comparable to getting rid of a cancer. If you need a surgery, you won't go looking for "fresh blood" and pick a young doctor just because he's young and you ignore what older doctors actually already accomplished, or because of his stardom on tv. You'll pick a hospital where you know that the entire team proposes the right kind of treatment and has a lot of experience with this kind of surgery, including that 75-year old surgeon who has more experience than anybody else in the room and is still full of energy and perspicacity.
As to what Pelosi did: it's precisely thanks to the fact that she managed to hold her entire caucus together (contrary to what GOP leaders manage to do, remember? And that's whether they're young (Ryan) or old (McConnell and Trump)) that Obamacare survived more than 60 attacks, and more than one from a Congress and WH entirely controlled by the GOP. The law saves an additional half a million American lives a decade - and was signed into law thanks to her too. And that's only 1 example.
16
The reputation of the United States as great democratic country has been partially restored by these elections.
2
Trump is the kind of executive who will steal an employee’s idea, implement it and then fire him. How will Democrats prevent him from taking credit for any reasonable legislation that helps Americans? Could Democrats fall into the trap of helping his re-election?
4
A Republican friend of mine, a very reasonable and intelligent person, commented on social media after the Republicans took control of the White House, Congress and Senate in 2016: "We've got this unique opportunity. Let's not squander it".
Recently he told me about his disappointment with many of the policies of the GOP and about his discomfort with the party's brutal veer to the extreme right, the racism, the autocratic tendencies, the lies and the distortions. "We've squandered it", he admitted to me.
Now I have the same message to the Democrats: "Don't squander it". Let's work to promote responsible, sensible policies to help all Americans. By all means let's get those tax returns and let's see through the Russia investigation, but do it fairly. Let's not get lost in revenge politics.
18
As I read these comments written by democrats the hopes of a civil society has all but faded into the past. Revenge seems to be the order of the day. We as an electorate have passed over differences in ideology and civil discussions for hatred for anyone that dares to think or act differently. All the talk about accepting everyone regardless of race , etc etc, and perhaps even personality or a member of a different political party with a different concept of what our government should look like, is just that ,talk.
So I guess the next two years will be under the banner " They did it to us so we will give it to them...in spades" with an agenda of investigate not legislate. Keep it up and there will be no hope left for the next generation just more hatred.
1
A great leader would look at last night’s results, acknowledge and reflect on the polarization that is destroying the fabric of this nation and take steps to do his part in pushing for common ground between all Americans. Far from being a leader, let alone a great one, Donald Trump could now only be described as being our “rabble rouser-in-chief,” and uniting Americans is the last thing on his mind.
You don’t need a crystal ball to know that Trump will now spend the next two years heightening polarization and demonizing any opposing voices. He will continue his lying and fearmongering even more ferociously than before. He will spend more time and taxpayer money multiplying his campaign rallies than he will in the Oval Office, and will ramp up hate whenever he can.
Flipping the Congress and the defeat of Kobach, Walker and others gives me some hope, but I’m still dreading the political climate we will see in the run up to 2020.
2
Be polite..but not too polite. There's so much to do. Take the high road, no question. But go LEFT.
5
"Restoring some sanity to American politics and a sense of higher, common purpose to American governance is yet another."
We cannot forget that the 2020 election is likely to be in as culturally divided a context as this one, with great deal of anger and political theatrics around the heads of the tickets. In fact the new Representatives' re-election campaign began as soon as they were projected winners this time around. They simply need to heed the warnings and stake out the credible priorities in this editorial.
Impeachment should be forgotten, if for no other reason than that Pence as president would be even more dangerous to civil liberty than who we have now since he knows how the game is played with stealth and tactics. He and the Republicans like him have all been to school with Frank Luntz and know how to sell a thing in the name of its opposite. Their alternative universe can be made to sound quite appealing to those who are struggling in this economy and social revolution.
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The Democrats should push a comprehensive immigration bill. I’d even be willing to build a useless wall, if we could get this fixed in a fair and humane way. Clearly, it is what a large part of the population wants to talk about, and after all, this is a democracy. Let’s fix it and move on.
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@EW. Democrats have been pushing comprehensive immigration bills for some time but the Senate Republicans don’t want it. I, for one, am not willing to spend my tax dollars on a “useless wall”. I don’t believe immigration is the biggest problem we face in this country. The biggest problem today is election integrity, voter suppression and gerrymandering. We need to address that along with health care, infrastructure, tariffs and trade agreements among other things. Our standing in the world community has declined under Trump and we need to work to regain the trust of our allies. As far as I am concerned these are the important things. Restoring the Dreamers will be a big help.
Today is Diwali, a festival celebrated by more than a billion people world over. It is the celebration of truth, goodness and beginning of a new year with its endless possibilities.
Without taking the comparison that far after the mid-term results today it feels the beginning of something similar.
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I believe it is crucial for the House to pursue the revelation of Mr. Trump's tax returns.
It is crucial because Trump's Republican protectors need to be fully exposed as to the fraud and criminality they are willing to abet in the name of party loyalty. Republican complicity in the Trump disaster should be on full display in the run-up to the 2020 general election.
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I think I disagree with the thing about picking policy-battles and trying to do nice things for people we like. It's not realistic. Dems will only be able to do one thing, and that is, they will be able to keep Trump's excesses in check--to prevent the Republicans from repealing Obamacare, and from running up the debt with high-end-only tax-cuts, and from other unwise or destructive legislative actions.
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@HandsomeMrToad - Why can't both the Democrats and the Republicans work on a new health care model that will work for decades to come. No need to have a health care system named after the president who instigated it. It only causes hackles to rise.
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The headline says it all. We who oppose Trump and what many of us consider actively evil ideas have to stand for something clear and articulate now. Even if the Senate blocks it, we have to start looking like the adults in the room.
Trump made this election all about himself. Now we have to avoid him walking us into a catastrophe abroad or at home for two years. Stay focused. Stay united. Stay civil.
And in the economic crash that will follow his party's sugar high of tax cuts for the rich, we need to be ready with good fiscal policy in particular, not a different sugar high with more national debt.
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@Peak Oiler - Vital to reduce the national debt.
With Democrats having predictably lost even more seats in the Senate, impeachment should be off the table - but careful, dogged investigation and documentation in.
Given the "Fox and friends" nature of today's Republican Party, the GOP will not have the stomach for a serious attempt to deny Trump the nomination in 2020 - so the plan should be to instead copiously document the corruption of Trump, his enablers, and his administration for use in the 2020 presidential campaign.
While we can all hope and pray for this base's eventual enlightenment in the not-too-distant future, the key for 2020 is winning the swing voters who decided the Presidency in 2016 - and who decide every presidential race - by copiously documenting the endemic corruption of Trump, his administration, and his enablers, and then formulating and masterfully articulating a believable program to make life better for all Americans, regardless of tribal origin.
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While I agree that impeachment is a non-starter, let's remember that there are two kinds of investigations. One involves a lot of public hearings and grandstanding by people who want their face on the evening news. Not the right thing for Democrats to waste time on. On the other hand, committee staff can do a lot of digging while members work on kitchen table issues in public. Let Judiciary and Finance committee staff spend a few months looking for Trump's skeletons. If they find some, then it's time for public hearings that show the American people what they need to know about the administration.
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Campaign ethics? Voting Rights? Infrastructure? Drug Costs? Healthcare? Good topics and aspirational as well.
However, they’d best use this time leading to 2020 to create positive, constructive, and actionable policies and messages. There ate still clearly regressive elements that voted for Iowa’s Steve King and Florida’s Ron DeSantis.
Absent their inimitable ability to fail to develop a coherent and cohesive approach to stemming the tide of tribal nationalism, I fear Blue is not yet here to stay.
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Democrats should first demonstrate competence and maturity with laser-like focus on infrastructure and health care cost control--two areas which both Democrat and Republican voters can agree on. Make Trump voters want to be part of the Democratic movement rather than trying to snare them with begging and enticements.
By all means, protect the Mueller investigation and go after Trump's tax returns, but stay away from impeachment; it only hardens the other side. Besides, it could lead to President Pence.
Be satisfied with a weakened Donald Trump in 2020 and discord among the Republican candidates and voters.
Don't over-reach, don't gloat, don't embarrass the other side.
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American democracy is alive and well. This is exactly how democracy should work and civility return. With congress in the hands of the Dems there is a possibility of immigration reform, healthcare reform with public option, reduction of national debt and my priority end to all overseas wars. On the other hand the president still has the veto power and more judges could be appointed on the supreme court when a vacancy arises, potentially a couple more in the remaining 1st term of the Trump presidency.
The justice Kavanaugh effect was profound for the Republicans regaining the senate. Never again should there be such a smear campaign conducted by either party. USA will be better for this mid term election with a record voter turn out. The diversity in congress will be a better representation of America. USA is great again, made by the people for the people and off the people.
Finally it is good that speaker Paul Ryan is leaving congress on his own. Even former president Bill Clinton said that "Obamacare is the worst system in the world" But the Republicans should have realized that something is better than nothing and the repeal without a robust reliable replacement was suicidal. Dems should not make the same mistakes the Republicans made. In 2020 they will meet the same fate in congress as the Republicans have met yesterday. Now all eyes on 2020 and the democratic presidential primary field. As an independent, sad I will continue to be ineligible to vote in the primary.
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