Norelli: "Discrimination Against Transgendered Wrong"

Terie And The House Democratic Leadership... (4.00 / 1)

Terie and the House Democratic Leadership has been steller on the issues of discrimination this year.  What a contrast with the Senate, so far.  We'll see what happens Wednesday.  

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by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 07:25:07 AM CDT

Indeed, plaudits to the speaker. (4.00 / 2)

Power speaking truth is even sweeter than speaking truth to power.

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by: hannah @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 08:12:15 AM CDT

On a roll (0.00 / 0)

Figured I should do it, so I did. The nice person who answered the phone (first human I've spoken to...maybe the Senate doesn't get up until 10 o'clock ;)) thanked me for the nice short message of support and said that there haven't been many nice friendly messages lately. Kathy Sullivan 2 is right that clearly we need to do more work—our representatives who do the right thing (in this case there is a right thing!) and stand up for what is just, right, and free, need rewarding.

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by: Mormo @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 08:27:00 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

what happened? (4.00 / 1)

Well, one thing that happened is that soon after the vote Speaker Norelli invokes and the  votes for an income tax and repeal of the death penalty, the hard right base of the GOP decided they didnt want to share a party with those who were not sufficiently ideologically pure.

In the next election, almost all the moderate republicans faced hard primary challenges and their numbers were decimated. This started a death spiral to the right that has lead to the loss of power for the GOP across the board in NH as more and more moderate REpublicans left to join the Democratic party or became undeclared but voting for Democrats.

There is a lesson in there somewhere for the Democratic Party. It isnt that we should not push aggressively for progressive politics in primaries, but that we need to be careful that in doing so we dont push people out of the party who are our allies on the majority of issues.

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

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by: Paul Twomey @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 08:42:25 AM CDT

The Democrats are pushing people like me out of the party (0.00 / 0)

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by: Putney Swope @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 18:52:10 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Push Yourself Back In! (0.00 / 0)

...there's always room for all of us.  

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by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 18:58:56 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

you mean the democrats who just voted for marriage equality in the NH House? (4.00 / 3)

Or the ones who voted for patients right to be treated with medicines that work? Or the ones that passed the transgendered rights bill in the House. Or the ones who voted to repeal the death penalty? I dont see a realistic alternative vehicle to the Democratic Party for enacting these kind of progressive measures. (And I spent thirty odd years voting for every third party under the sun-- a practice that I now consider an unaffordable indulgence given our perilous situation).

The marriage equality bill will pass. I watched part of the debate in the House and was struck by how even the opponents seemed to know they were fighting a doomed rear-guard effort against the tide of history.

And when it does pass, it will be Democrats (including you, I'll bet) who will push  it past the finish line.


"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

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by: Paul Twomey @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 19:48:20 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yes, THOSE Democrats. (4.00 / 2)

Who participate in elaborate, clever theater.

They pass bills to please the rubes. Then the Senate Clubs those bills to death.

And nary a House Democrat says, "SHAME!"

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by: elwood @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 19:52:37 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Shame... (4.00 / 1)

...but the Senate Democrats can redeem themselves on Wednesday and stand on the side of fairness and equality.  I expect them to.  

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by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 20:03:08 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Why is the House so often more progressive than the Senate? (4.00 / 2)

My belief is money. It takes so much to run for the senate in competitive districts that only those who are wealthy themselves or who can attract the cash from monied interests have a good chance. Unfunded progressives have a chance but the playing field is definitely tilted.

The netroots phenomenon helps to even things a bit, but IMHO, only a public campaign funding mechanism that allows all to compete on at least a marginally efective level will give full voice to progressive interest in the Senate.

The governor's office is even more stark. When you look at our recent history of Governors and nominated candidates (from both parties), it is hard not to feel that we are in danger of becoming an oligarchy of the wealthy. While wealthy people can of course be progressive, it is hard to believe that nothing is lost when 99% of the people have no realistic chance of winning the highest office.

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

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by: Paul Twomey @ Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 10:51:23 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Oh, come off it. (0.00 / 0)

Do you honestly believe members of the House only voted for marriage equality because they were assured it would fail in the Senate?

This isn't a movie.  Not everybody is lying to you.

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by: This Was The Moment @ Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 15:26:17 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yes. (0.00 / 0)

One effect of giving an upper chamber a separate vote is, the lower chamber can cast votes knowing they will be second-guessed.

I'm pretty damn tired of being called stupidly cynical by you when I point out basic attributes of the system the Founding Fathers deliberately constructed.

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by: elwood @ Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 19:31:49 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I'm not saying you're stupid. (0.00 / 1)

I'm saying you sometimes have paranoid tendencies when it comes to anything that happens to be called "Senate".

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by: This Was The Moment @ Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 21:08:35 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

...and that really doesn't qualify for a troll rating. (0.00 / 0)

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by: This Was The Moment @ Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 21:31:14 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Perhaps not (0.00 / 0)

But the "paranoia" accusation was unnecessary.

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by: JimC @ Sun Apr 26, 2009 at 05:11:23 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

That definitely occurs (0.00 / 0)

in every bicameral system. The rep can say, "Well, I wrote it into our budget!" And they definitely expect it to be cut.

I think it's less common with high-profile stuff like this, though, and Paul captures the (depressing) bottom line.

My sister-in-law from California was here last night, challenging stereotypes we offered up denigrating the wealthy. All the rich people she knows are liberal. Then again, they didn't pass Proposition 8, did they?

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by: JimC @ Sun Apr 26, 2009 at 05:08:50 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I'd appreciate any comments. (0.00 / 0)

http://www.democracyfornewhamp...

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by: hannah @ Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 09:53:41 AM CDT

It's Been Almost 2 Weeks (0.00 / 0)

And I'm still upset about how we were treated by the Senate, the Republican party (Papa Sununu villian #1) and the media.

The senate committee hurried us through our testimony and then voted only minutes after we left.  They obviously had decided the outcome BEFORE any testimony was given.  This was not democracy in action, it was watch the lazy, cowardly senators in action.  Those senators should be ashamed of themselves.

Greatly Disappointed.

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by: xrk9854 @ Tue May 05, 2009 at 17:05:37 PM CDT