Will Tuesday June 6th be the day that Democrats seize hold of the political agenda? It could!
With Francine Busby polling ahead of Brian Bilbray in a once Republican "shoo-in" district she may actually win her election on the 6th. At the very least she'll come close. Independents are already trending heavily her way, an indicator that has national implications.
As if that wasn't enough, on the SAME DAY the Republican Senate has decided to further demonstrate how corrupt and out of touch it is by holding debate and a vote on a federal amendment to ban gay marriage. This at a time when millions of Americans are uninsured or underinsured, when we are in desperate need of new ideas for energy, when wages are stagnating, there is no Congressional oversight WRT the debacle in Iraq, you name it! There are so many more salient issues for average Americans right now.
So, here is what Senate Democrats should do on Tuesday: DON'T SHOW UP FOR WORK!
Go do something for average Americans. Hold a health care rally! Do some service project! Go work in a soup kitchen or a women's shelter or a children's health clinic where uninsured kids are treated! Come to California and help elect Francine Busby! Stage press conferences decrying the neglect of real issues that affect real people!
The gay marriage issue is a radical conservative issue for radical conservative Republicans. It does Democrats no good to engage in the debate! If we engage then our nay votes are used against us and we are accused of not caring about the so-called "sanctity of marriage."
If we don't engage then we are accused of not caring about the so-called "sanctity of marriage." But, at least we can say we are not participating because there are issues more important to average Americans and then list what those issues are and then talk about what we would do about those issues!
Senate Republicans want to create a spectacle to shore up their base. So, Reid et al should give them a spectacle by not showing up and then going out to do good things and discuss real issues affecting real people. Don't you all think so?
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UPDATE: It appears there is a very good reason NOT to stage a boycott, which is that Republicans would only need a 2/3 majority of present members in order to pass the hate legislation. This obviously isn't what we want. Perhaps, though, this diary can be a jumping off point into a discussion of bold moves Democrats might make that would get attention for our majority agenda and continue to paint the Republicans as extreme and out-of-touch.