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"The last eight years have shown us the American people want us to work together. Democrats aren't looking to Sen. Franken's election as an opportunity to ram legislation through this body. In turn, Senate Republicans must understand that Sen.-elect Franken's election does not abdicate them from the responsibilities to govern."
The last eight years didn't show us any such thing, and yes, there actually are plenty of us Democrats who want healthcare and environmental reform (and a lot of other things), and don't give a crap how many Republicans squeal and scream and stamp their little Rumplestiltskin feet about it.
Reid acts like the Senate dog-and-pony show is somehow important to us. It isn't. Results, and only results are important. A lot of us (including myself) are unemployed, and this is a life-and-death issue for us. Back when the Repukes were in power, they only needed 50 votes plus Dick Cheney to do whatever the hell they wanted, and the Dems were too spineless to even threaten a filibuster, much less go through with one.
The only people calling for bipartisanship (a stupid oxymoron) are the right-wing talking heads on TV. Ask your average person on the street how important bipartisanship is, and where they place it relative to getting healthcare for their sons or daughters.
The congress has this echo-chamber they live in, where they all simply assert that the American people think this, or want that, but it's just a projection onto us, delivered ad-nauseum from the right wing media. Nearly 70% of us want government run healthcare to be available, or even more, depending on the poll. We elected Dems in a landslide to get stuff done, not to play footsies with the jackasses who got us into this mess, and are now trying to blame it on us.
I'd rather have 50 votes and Al Franken or Tom Harkin as majority leader, than 70 votes with Harry Reid.
