By David Turnoy

Manka Dhingra campaign trip: Sept. 30 is the date for our trip down to Redmond to campaign for Manka in the 45^th LD for state senate.  If we can flip her seat blue, both houses of the legislature will be majority Democratic.  Busfare and meals are taken care of, all you have to pay for is walking on the ferry.  There will be flatter turf for those unable to do hills, and you can call to be picked up whenever you are physically done.  For those who can’t really get out there physically, there is data entry and phone calling that you can do from Manka’s campaign headquarters.  Go to http://www.signupgenius.com/go/508094ea4ae2fa6fa7-lets1  in order to sign up for what will be a fun and very important event.

Donating to three campaigns: Speaking of campaigns, our voting membership decided to contribute $300 to each of three campaigns in eastern and/or rural Washington.  Under the new leadership of state chair Tina Podlodowski, we are now making our presence felt in many jurisdictions where there have been no Democrats even on the ballot in more than ten years, and campaign contributions go a lot further in eastern Washington and other rural areas.  Soon to receive our cash are two state senate candidates, Karen Hardy in the 7^th and Michelle Rylands in the 31^st, and in the house we are helping Navy veteran Susan Swanson in the 7^th.  I will be announcing our contributions to the other party chairs around the state so hopefully their local parties will follow suit.  For any of you able to donate individually, you can find out information about each candidate at the following: www.karenforsenate.com, www.michellerylands.com, and www.susanforhouse.com.

Local positions to run for: In November of next year, the county auditor position will be up for election.  It would be wonderful to have a Democrat in this position, and it is a fulltime job.  Also, there are soon to be three openings on the Planning Commission from San Juan Island.  Councilor Bill Watson is especially anxious that we appoint some women.  If you are interested, go to http://sanjuanco.com/589/Planning-Commission.

Blog: Islanders Voice is to be revived under the direction of PCO Stephen Shubert.  Cindy Wolf has also expressed interest in being involved.  If you are interested in being part of this worthy effort, please let me know.  Thanks to Stephen and Cindy.

Platform Committee: The Platform Committee is going to meet in its reconstituted form to weed out old planks we no longer need and to add new planks relevant to today’s circumstances.  Joining me will be Learner, Natasha, Cindy, Walt, and Robert.  If anyone else is interested, please let me know.  I will look at the ferry schedule to try to organize something soon.  It might be possible to meet at the Orcas Hotel at the ferry landing on Orcas if the ferry schedule is at all convenient.  Thanks to those mentioned.

Aquaculture: Natasha reminded us that resolutions opposing fish farms were passed 10 and 5 years ago respectively, yet fish farms still exist, and recently a pen bordering on our county leaked millions of non-native fish.  Natasha volunteered to write a letter for our county party to Governor Inslee reminding him about these resolutions, and she will cc Tina Podlodowski.  She will draft it, pass it around to us, then send it.  Thanks, Natasha.

Test of ballot tabulating equipment: Tom volunteered to be our rep for this important testing of our ballot counting system.  Thanks, Tom.

Orcas deputy vice chair: Keara Axelrod was confirmed in this position.  Thanks, Keara.

State Meeting: Various reports about the meeting of Sept. 8-10 were shared, including Learner’s very complete notes on the sessions he attended https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9O64jKf78oEMThjTHpUMU1yNGM.  One of the most exciting developments is the establishing of an Advocacy Committee, which will bring our platform to the attention of our elected officials and attempt to have them implement items on the platform.  I was impressed with all the young progressive folks involved at the meeting.  Good things are happening at the state level; progressive, energetic folks are working on our behalf all around the state.  If you are not already contributing to the Resistance, the money raised is being well spent on organizers, and soon (with your help) there will be enough money coming in that local entities will start receiving funds.  Please go to the state Dems website and sign up to contribute $10, $20, or any amount you can afford monthly.  This really is a good investment in our future.

Important Bylaws change: As we have been working on creating new endorsement rules, which we will hopefully have ready by our October meeting, it has become apparent that the people getting to vote on endorsements would be limited to possibly as small a group as only the PCOs.  My feeling is that we want to be as inclusive as possible and that we want to give those who attend our meetings reasons for attending, one of which could be to be able to vote on endorsements.  Therefore, I proposed that our definition of “voting members” be expanded to include anyone attending at least two meetings in the previous year who otherwise meets our criteria.  This would prevent packing the room for an endorsement vote while still allowing our regular (or semi-regular) attendees to participate.  We will need to take attendance at our meetings, which we started today by passing around a sign-up sheet.  The motion was passed unanimously.

Next Meeting: The next meeting will again take place at the community college in Friday Harbor on Saturday, Oct. 14.  The possibility was broached about meeting on other islands at times, and there are good points to be considered on both sides of the argument.  This is something we will keep looking at.  Also, we really need to join the modern age and somehow have a teleconferencing way for people from more remote islands to virtually participate in our meetings.  I will do some serious investigation of this, and if any of you have expertise in this area and want to help make this happen, please contact me.

Thanks,
David Turnoy, Chair
San Juan County Democrats
360-376-4165
davidgeri@centurylink.net

Hello San Juan County Democrats,

We just had our monthly meeting in Friday Harbor this past Saturday, July 8.  A lot of news was shared, therefore I am putting this notice out so you are in the loop.

First, this coming Wednesday, July 12, Lt. Gov. Habib and Sen. Ranker will appear at the Orcas Senior Center at 3:00, then they will appear at an affordable housing rally on the Village Green at 5:00.  Dinner is available at the latter event for $5.

On Friday, July 28, at 7:00 at Orcas Center, Orcas Currents is presenting Hedrick Smith and Sarah Stillman on the future of journalism in a “post-truth” environment, a conversation moderated by Floyd McKay.  Admission is free but donations are welcome.

The county fair is coming up Aug. 16-19 at the fairgrounds in Friday Harbor.  The Democrats will have a double booth there, which is open to other progressives as well.  We still have some time slots that need a volunteer or two.  Here are times where there is already one volunteer, but another would be nice:
Aug. 16: 10-12, 12-2, 2-4, 4-6, 6-9
Aug. 17: 10-12, 12-2, 2-4, 4-6
Aug. 18: 10-12, 2-4
Aug. 19: 2-4. 4-6, 6-9
Here are times where there are no volunteers yet:
Aug. 17: 6-9
Aug. 18: 12-2, 4-6, 6-9
Aug. 19: 12-2
To sign up to work at the fair, please go towww.signupgenius.com/go/5080F4BA5A62BA6FB6-COUNTY
If you have any questions, contact Walt Cooter atwalter@rockisland.com or Cindy Wolf atCwolf@seanet.com.  Also, if you would like to speak on a topic at the fair, let Cindy or Walt know about this.  Even if you can’t work at the fair, please come by the booth, and send others over to the booth.  We will have speakers, and we will have postcards available to fill out to send.

Keep in mind that we will be taking a busload of folks down to the 45^th senate district near Seattle in early September to do some campaigning for Manka Dhingra.  We are hoping to have Kevin Ranker leading us.  Remember, if we can help carry Manka to victory, we can turn the senate blue and have control of both houses of the legislature, so be on the lookout for my notice about this later in August.  In addition, we may have an opportunity for those who would like to call voters in that district from their own homes.  Finally, if there are any of you who live in the islands part-time but live in Manka’s district at other times (from Kirkland on the west, to Duvall on the east, and Sammamish on the south; includes Redmond and Kirkland), please let us know who you are, as you could be a big help.

Thanks to all who gathered signatures and/or simply signed the petition to protect our undocumented residents from fear of being asked their documentation status if not relevant.  This is a matter of public safety, as all of us need to feel safe in calling for help if we need it.  The number of signatures gathered was 1,000 more than required, so you will see the proposed ordinance on the ballot this November.

For those who have been wondering what is happening with the move to change our nominating procedure where we have a whole bunch of people try to cram into a caucus room as opposed to using a primary, our State Committeewoman Natasha Frey reports that the State Democrats’ Rules Committee will be meeting this weekend, and one of the main items of business will be this topic.  We are hoping to have the primary become the vehicle for determining how many delegates each candidate receives, then have those who are interested attend a caucus to determine the delegates and possibly work on the platform.  Natasha will be attending and will update us afterward.  If you have any comments about this, please get them to me this week so I can forward them to Natasha, or email her at freyn2@wwu.edu.

If anyone is interested in participating in establishing a national bank to fund infrastructure projects, please contact me.  We are hoping to get one of our Washington State Congresspeople to introduce legislation for this.

PCO and Orcas Deputy Vice Chair Cindy Wolf has been elected vice chair of our county Democratic Party.  That opens up Cindy’s deputy vice chair position.  Keara Axelrod is very interested in filling this position, and she will do so unless anyone else from Orcas contacts me that s/he would like to be considered.

Our Platform Committee has not met in a few years, and it is time to update our county platform.  If youhaven’t read this document, it is well worth taking the time to do so, as it is a very progressive document.  Find it at http://sjdemocrats.org/platform/.  If you would like to be part of this committee, please contact me or let me know at the next meeting in September.

Due to our participation in the fair in August and the fact that lots of people take vacations that month, we will not have a regular monthly meeting in August.  Our next meeting will most likely be on Sept. 16.  I will send out a notice when we get closer to the time.

Thanks for reading!
David Turnoy
Chair, San Juan County Democrats
Tel. 376-4165
davidgeri@centurylink.net

SJCDs Meeting Saturday, July 8

Hello San Juan County Democrats:

Our next scheduled meeting of the San Juan County Democrats is Saturday, July 8, at Skagit Community College in Friday Harbor.  The inter-island ferry arrives at 11:20, so we would hope to start by about 11:35 or 11:40.  The ferry leaves at 2:15, so we will end the meeting about 1:50.   Thanks to our generous drivers in Friday Harbor, rides will once again be provided to and from the ferry. Also, we will have childcare available if anyone calls me that they would like to utilize it; call David Turnoy at 376-4165 or email davidgeri@centurylink.net.  Please contact me by Monday, July 3, if interested.

We plan to elect a vice chair for our county organization.  We will still have individual deputy vice chairs for each of the three largest islands, but we need a woman in place as vice chair to follow state rules for gender equity, plus one more person in a leadership position will be very helpful.  I have not had anyone contact me expressing her interest, as of this date.  If you are interested, please let me know, and please be prepared to give a brief chat about yourself.

We will not have a meeting in August due to the county fair and our participation in it. Therefore, we should use part of the upcoming meeting to plan for that.  And if you haven’t signed up to help at the Fair, please go to
www.signupgenius.com/go/5080F4BA5A62BA6FB6-COUNTY.  Simply copy and paste this link.

Even though the state legislature is still in session, Senator Ranker recently contacted me to say that he still wants to lead a busload of islanders down to the 45th district to campaign for Manka Dhingra later this summer.  If I have more news about this by the time of our meeting, I will relay it.

It has been several months since our committees have met, so I hope to have a substantial amount of time for this to happen.

If you have other items to add to our agenda, please contact me.  I look forward to seeing you on July 8.

Thanks.

David Turnoy
Chair
San Juan County Democrats
Tel. 376-4165
davidgeri@centurylink.net

Hello San Juan County Democrats:

Following our bylaws revision meeting in May, our next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, June 10, starting at 11:30 am, ending by 2:00 pm, at Skagit Valley College in Friday Harbor. The inter-island ferry arrives in Friday Harbor at 11:15 am and leaves at 2:20 pm. Thanks to our generous drivers in Friday Harbor, rides will once again be provided to and from the ferry. Also, we will again have childcare available if anyone calls me that they would like to utilize it; call David Turnoy at 376-4165 or email davidgeri@centurylink.net.  Please contact me by Monday, June 5, if interested.

You may be aware that the Immigrant Rights Group of the Orcas Women’s Coalition is seeking to put an initiative on the ballot for an election this November that would establish an ordinance preventing our county prosecutor and law enforcement from asking about immigration status.  If undocumented folks know they will be asked their status, they are less likely to report danger or crime to the authorities, compromising their safety.  In addition, there are many other reasons why this kind of ordinance makes sense.  We hope to have the author of the ordinance present at our meeting to tell us about it and answer questions, then we will vote on whether to endorse the ordinance.

It has been a couple of months since our committees have met, so I hope to have a substantial amount of time for this to happen.

At this point the state legislative session continues to go on, so Senator Ranker is not yet free to lead our charge to help in the senate election in the 45th district.  I hear really good things about the organization in place in that district to elect Manka Dinghra, so we will have to see how much help we can provide.

If you have other items to add to our agenda, please contact me.  I look forward to seeing you on June 10.

Thanks.

David Turnoy
Chair
San Juan County Democrats
Tel. 376-4165

Hello San Juan County Democrats:

Due to widespread interest, the San Juan County Democrats are continuing to meet once a month. Our next meeting is our regular quarterly meeting and will take place on Saturday, April 8, starting at 11:30 am, ending by 2:00 pm, at Skagit Valley College in Friday Harbor. The inter-island ferry arrives to Friday Harbor at 11:15 am and leaves at 2:20 pm. Thanks to our generous drivers in Friday Harbor, rides will once again be provided to and from the ferry. Also, we will again have childcare available in an effort to attract younger folks to participate in our meetings and actions.

Our agenda on April 8 will include:

1) Introductions, approval of minutes, and treasurer’s report;
2) Report on Rep. Larsen’s meeting in Friday Harbor on March 26;
3) Report on the April 1 coordination meeting in Friday Harbor of the leaders of the various progressive action groups throughout San Juan County;
4) Formation of new groups on minority and immigrant rights, legislative bills, and elections;
5) Planning for meet and greet with Manka Dhingra, Democratic candidate for State Senator for the 45th LD;
6) Addressing post cards in support of Planned Parenthood;
7) Calendar of upcoming meetings; &
8) Breakout into action groups, then report back to full meeting.

Gretchen Allison and others are putting on an art exhibit focusing on political protest and social and environmental issues in the first week of May at Maria Michaelson and Eban Shay’s new art center on San Juan Island. They would like to get the word out to a broad swath of artist types so they know it’s happening and can consider showing their work. Contact Gretchen at gretchen@rockisland.com. Gretchen also has “Resist!” bumper stickers available.

Speaking of resistance, you may be interested in the Resistance Manual website, which is a Wikipedia-style platform with background information on current issues. You can access it at www.resistancemanual.org. This is a good site to use in conjunction with Indivisible actions or on its own.

It has been suggested that we may want to have a group, or individuals, tracking legislative bills and elections so we can act when it is timely. If you are motivated to initiate a group to do this, please come to our upcoming meeting. Or if you want to do this on your own, you can monitor happenings at https://www.senate.gov/legislative/active_leg_page.htm and https://www.congress.gov/search?q={%22source%22:%22legislation%22,%22congress%22:%22115%22,%22bill-status%22:%22passed-one%22} .

Another suggestion for a group is one to protect minority rights. The Orcas Women’s Coalition has had a group working on immigrant protection since soon after the election, and they have met with County Council Members, the sheriff, the county prosecutor, our state senator, and the school board on Orcas. If you have an interest in being involved, please contact me and I will put you in touch with them.

You are encouraged to bring blank postcards to our April 8 meeting. Rita O’Clair, the lead of our Planned Parenthood and Related Issues group and our most prolific political postcard writer, has acquired stamps to imprint the addresses of our legislators on postcards, and if you would like a turn to stamp a bunch of postcards for yourself to use as you continue to contact our legislators as part of the resistance, please bring your supply of postcards with you to the upcoming meeting.

If you will be attending our April 8 meeting and will require childcare, please call David Turnoy at 376-4165 by Monday, or email him at davidgeri@centurylink.net, so we will know if we should provide childcare or not.

I look forward to seeing you on April 8.

Thanks.

David Turnoy
Chair
San Juan County Democrats
Tel. 376-4165

We’re pretty careful when we post something on this web page.  When we see something in the news that we think is of interest and relevant to the Democratic perspective, we first try to make certain that it is accurate and verifiable before creating a blog entry.  We also typically imbed links that serve as backup material for the statements we make.  That’s because we expect our readers NOT to simply accept what we say here on blind faith, but to require that such statements be fact-based.  It’s a standard we work arduously and proudly to uphold.

Not everyone, of course, adheres to this approach.  Many political web sites, political advocacy groups and even major media outlets frequently run stories and ads that distort the actual facts, leave out critical details or are just simply untrue, delivering what their readers/viewers WANT to hear – WANT to be true – as opposed to what is actually true, complete and relevant.  A few examples:

Last fall, at the beginning of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) rollout, Sean Hannity had three couples on his show who were, in the host’s words, “feeling the pain of Obamacare and the healthcare overhaul train wreck.”  After these couples were contacted by (actual) journalists, none of their stories held up under scrutiny.

One couple stated that, “because of Obamacare, they can’t grow their construction business and they have kept their employees below a certain number of hours, so that they are part-timers.”  Well, it turns out that the company in question had only four employees.  The only ACA requirement for such small companies is that they notify their employees of the existence of the Obamacare exchanges.  Under the ACA, you would only be required to provide insurance if you have at least 50 full-time employees.

The other two couples both received cancellation letters from their current carriers and were quoted pretty stiff increases for Obamacare-compliant policies by those same companies.  Both couples also refused to even check the exchanges for comparable policies simply because they “didn’t like Obamacare.”  Journalists checking the web sites for them found that both could receive better coverage for less money.  How can you claim something is bad – on national television, yet – when you haven’t even examined it?

In Louisiana, Americans for Prosperity, funded largely by the petro-chemical magnates, Charles and David Koch, is running ads against incumbent U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu.  The ads depict Louisianans receiving letters from their insurance companies that supposedly cancel their policies and blame the Affordable Care Act.  Problem is, the ads not only feature professional actors instead of actual Louisiana citizens, but also, the producers concede, do not even reflect any specific individual cases.  The events depicted are instead, according to the producers, “emblematic” of what is happening in that state.  You will note that they did not support that claim by citing any real cases.

And, lastly, right here in little old San Juan County, the Republican web site has a post up claiming that, “OBAMACARE IS LITERALLY KILLING THE MIDDLE CLASS.”  The post is simply a link to (yet another) Koch Brothers/Americans for Prosperity ad, this one being aired in Michigan.  It features a woman who has leukemia and claims that Obamacare caused cancellation of her existing policy and that the replacement one has out-of-pocket costs that make her treatments unaffordable, a heart-rending story to be sure.  The local GOPers clearly liked what this ad said so much that they simply neglected to check out whether it was accurate.  But, that’s okay, the folks at the Washington Post did it for them.  Turns out that the lady’s premiums for her old policy were about $1,100 per month.  Those for her new policy under the ACA are about half that.  The savings for that over a year almost exactly equal the out-of-pocket maximum payments under the ACA of $6,350, so the whole thing is pretty much a wash.  Oh, she also gets to keep her doctor.  The Washington Post gave the ad two Pinocchios for “Significant omissions and/or exaggerations.”

Research gives us insight into why these types of emotional appeals work irrespective of whether there is any rational substance behind them.  Sadly, it indicates that political attitudes are largely formed by cultural, environmental and other factors, rather than as a result of information gathering and reasoned thought.  One unfortunate consequence of this is that attempts to persuade people to change based on presentation of facts more often than not simply leads to a hardening of their attitudes.  Despite this discouraging finding, we will continue to deploy factual information and rational analysis to our opinions on this page.  A man can only deny the truth for so long.

The local Republican web site has an article up this week with their take on the differences between how each of the major parties approaches the (ostensibly) mutually agreed objectives of “happy lives free of stress and having the unfortunate cared for.”

As examples of how to realize “happiness in personal wealth and healthy communities including care for the needy,” they list:

Successful Businesses
The Food Bank/Resource Center
Church Outreach and Hospitals
Service Organizations-Lions, Rotary, Kiwanas
Local Animal Shelters

Well, we’re all for successful businesses, particularly the locally-owned variety.  And we all support the efforts of local service organizations, volunteers and similar efforts to help those who need it.  But the fact is that these, alone, are wholly insufficient to either adequately facilitate the pursuit of happiness or address the needs of the less fortunate.

In 2011, the federal government doled out just under $97 billion for food assistance of various types (the recently passed agriculture bill cuts this by about $1 billion per year).  Yes, that’s a lot of money, but compare it to the TOTAL for similar aid given by charitable groups in the same year: $4.1 billion.  Republicans can gnash teeth and rend garments all day long about having their tax dollars go to feed others, but the fact is that private charity can’t come close to meeting the need that exists for supplemental food assistance.

A third of all new businesses fail within two years.  Half are gone within four years.  While we salute and admire those who have borne that risk and survived, starting a business is not for everyone.  And it’s clearly not a general recipe for “happy lives free of stress.”  So Republicans can wax all 1%-ish they want about free market capitalism and charitable  being the Yellow Brick Road to happiness and freedom from want, but a look at actual intrinsic data just doesn’t bear that out.

The Republican web post also lists the following as examples of government programs that fail to “take care of [our] happiness and the needs of the unfortunate”:

Postal System
Amtrack
Medicaid
Social Security
Obamacare

The USPS delivers great service at very reasonable prices.  It’s purported fiscal problems are almost entirely a creation of Congress.  During the Iraq War, my office adopted a platoon and regularly sent snacks, treats, music, DVDs and other items to the troops (you’ll notice that, even though I didn’t support the war, I supported the troops).  The first time I sent a package, I sent it via UPS.  The cost was outrageous, just for ground delivery.  After that, I sent by US Mail for about a third of the cost.  That made ME pretty happy.  Also, ever tried to get UPS or FedEx to deliver a simple letter across the country for 46 cents?  Try it.  It WON’T make you very happy.  BTW, 77% of Americans are happy with the USPS, better numbers than those of free market icons such as Google, computer software makers, telephone companies, and internet service providers.

Just like the postal service, most of Amtrak’s financial problems were created by Congress and just like the USPS, Congress could fix them if they wanted to. Just 26 of Amtrak’s routes carry four-fifths of its passengers, or 25.8 million riders per year. Ridership on these routes is growing rapidly and they are profitable.

Medicaid is a program that provides health care coverage for 58 million people who otherwise could not afford it.  While we have food banks and similar functions, a Google search for “free clinic San Juan county Washington” turned up zero relevant results.  Please tell me how entrepreneurship and charitable giving are going to meet the needs of 58 million people with no access to affordable healthcare?

With the possible exception of Medicare, Social Security is far and away the most popular and successful government program ever established.  Does it make people happy?  Does it provide for the needy?  Well, try taking it away and see what happens.  No, wait.  Don’t even go that far.  Just try and make changes to it that might endanger its viability in the eyes of those receiving benefits.  Actually, you don’t have to do either.  Just ask George W. Bush how it would go over with the American electorate.  He has some experience in that area.

Obamacare is well on its way to providing affordable healthcare access to millions who would otherwise be without it.  This will be of great benefit not only to those who gain coverage, but also the rest of us whose premiums will be lower, hospitals and other providers which will have now serve many more whose bills will not have to be written off as bad debts and insurance companies themselves which will profit from millions more customers.  How is this NOT a win-win for both communities and healthcare providers?

Like most Republican arguments, these are mere statements, claims with no basis in fact, and – you will notice, – they provide absolutely no supporting material.  The article concludes with the statement, “Watch while Republicans clean up the present mess.”  Well, before they can do that, they’ll have to convince the electorate to give them the chance.  With “arguments” like these, it’s hard to see the electorate giving them the imprimatur to do so.

From Mike Konczal via the Washington Post:

© The Washington Post Company

Everyone knows by now, or should know, that a majority of Americans “oppose” Obamacare, officially known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Fox News, talk radio and even the mainstream media have pointed this out repeatedly.  But the last presidential election was fought largely on this turf, and President Obama was returned to office in an electoral landslide.  How can this conundrum be reconciled?

A recent CNN poll reconfirms the numbers: 58% of Americans say they oppose the law.  However, this poll does what others generally have not: It drills down into respondents’ reasons for their opposition.  It turns out that, of that 58%, 41% oppose the law because it is “too liberal,” while 14% say it’s “not liberal enough.”

So, just to set the record straight, 41% of Americans oppose the ACA because it is socialism, will “destroy the American way of life,” and/or will cause a plague of locusts o’er the land, while 54% either favor it or want something even more far-reaching, e.g. single payer.

So next time you see Sean Hannity touting a poll that he says tells you all you need to know, just remember that it’s likely not necessarily what the respondents truly think, but how he’s asking the question that gets those results.

It appears that that sacred cow of U.S. Senate tradition known as the filibuster is dead.  OK, maybe it’s only half dead, since the Democratic leadership only surgically removed it for presidential appointments other than the Supreme Court (i.e. SCOTUS appointments and legislation can technically still be subject to the procedure).  But the Republican leadership has already signaled – okay, SWORN – to eliminate it for everything in retaliation for this “travesty” just as soon as they are returned to the majority.

In other words, Republicans say, the Democrats have wreaked heinous damage upon our democracy … and so we’re going to render that damage both permanent and complete, just as soon as we’re given the chance.  Almost makes you think that’s what they wanted to begin with, only this is much better because now they can blame the whole thing on the Democrats.

Whatever you think of the filibuster, one thing is certain.  Republicans have adhered meticulously to the strategy they famously hatched on inauguration night in 2009 (as documented by author Robert Draper) to oppose Obama’s every policy, appointment and legislative initiative.

How bad is it?  The record on executive appointments, alone:

Senate filibusters of executive appointments since 1952.

This is clearly unprecedented abuse of what was once a time-honored Senate tradition of respecting minority party rights.  But it has gotten completely out of hand, as Republicans vowed on that January night in 2009.  It is no longer used solely, as intended, in rare or extreme cases, but rather invoked routinely and pettily as a way to prevent the Executive branch from doing its job.

Elections are supposed to have consequences.  The president is supposed to be able to make appointments.  Most of those he has made have not been subject to opposition over their qualifications or even ideology, but merely as a way of keeping the president from getting things done.  You need look no further than this Republican strategy of obstruction at all costs to understand why absolutely nothing is getting done in Washington.  That’s not good for the country, and voters should make Republicans pay a price for it in 2014.