(CNN) – Vice President Joe Biden has a message for Democrats this November: "stop whining."
At a fundraiser Monday in New Hampshire for three Congressional candidates, Biden said he thinks Democrats will retain control of both houses of Congress in November, but only if they are able to highlight their differences with Republicans.
Democrats should "remind our base constituency to stop whining and get out there and look at the alternatives," Biden said, echoing the Democratic message this fall.
Voters have a right to be angry, he said, but the choice between parties is clear.
Part of that choice, he said, means voting against Republicans and the agenda of former President George W. Bush.
"Worst of all was the policies they had in place that decimated the middle class. That's the real catastrophe," Biden said.
Adam Green, the co-founder of the Progressive Change Committee hit back at Biden's comments Monday.
"[We are] picking up the ball that this White House dropped when they refused to fight for the overwhelming popular public option, refused to break up the big banks, and demobilized Obama voters who expected this President to at least fight for big change," Green said in a statement.
From CNN Politics
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8 years of Bush won't be fixed in one year or two years or one term, most people can't get out of debt in 1 year so how do they expect President Obama to fix the deficit in one term
do not let these GOP thugs rule the nation...they take the nation to dogs....Karl Rowe is just like Rush Limbaugh....the biggest idiot...with no brain....GOP thugs mess again...if you still insist, it is your karma...that's it...just vote any democrat....save America...do not be stupid...do not listen to old thugs of this nation....GOP thugs, may even repeal Health Care law...be cautious...God bless.....do not listen to idiotic polls...some of the CNN are bribed...like Gloria Borger....that old dude...etc, and even John King...the idiot...God Bless the nation, the USA...............
The choice has never been clearer. Do we leave the hose in the hands of the Fireman-in-Chief and his crew, or do we turn the country back over to the arsonists? The Dems have to stand up for what they've accomplished and lay the blame firmly on the party of NO for causing the mess in the first place and for stopping the recovery from being quicker and more vigorous. folks are upset, but they need to know who they need to be upset with! folks, channel your anger toward the ones who caused the problems, not the ones who are trying to fix them!
Good advice Joe. And don't forget "Get off you butts and vote".
I completely agree with Biden. Democrats should be proud of this administration. They fought hard and moved the country forward. Change doesn't happen over night and to attack this President because he wasn't liberal enough, makes no sense. What is the alternative? What would the republicans do if they were in charge. Absolutely nothing. They have only been plotting against this president from the start. They used every opportunity to bash the president. Now its time for us to stand up and support the white house. Show up and vote in November.
I agree – Stop Whining!!
And then he drops the standard "blame Bush" line. When will he learn Bush is not on the ballot??
Right on, Joe! If you want it, you have to work for it. Toughen up, fellow Dems.
Whine if you may, but I refuse to vote Republicans in office because it was they who dropped the ball for 8 years and it is they who have refused to honor their oath by placing their hand on the Bible to serve ALL Americans and now they have replaced the Bible with their so-called pledge to Americans.
Actually, the Democratic Politicians need to stop WHINING and that would automatically UNITE THE BASE!!! My CASE and my POINT!!!
If the Democratic Politicians did not JUMP SHIP and DISTANCE themselves from the BASE, the BASE would be more excited. They need to get out there and MAKE the BASE want to VOTE – Period!!!
With that said – DEMOCRATS – make the Politicians STATE the CASE and mean it – so we can UNITE the BASE and believe in it – so we can WIN this RACE in November 2010!!! All of these races are LOCAL and do not let the National Media make you think differently!!!!
T'SAH from Virginia – the Original – and I approve this message!!
Mr. Vice President, we are not whining. We have jobs (in spite of what the teabaggers think of us) and we can't be traveling all over the US on our big gas guzzling RVs spewing hate and stupidity.
We will be heard in November and in 2012 where it counts by our votes.
Mr. Green, what you need to do is go after the rethugs who get in the way of everything that the President is trying to do. The ones that don't want to play because they are bullies are the rethugs in Congress. They have to go.
Will Adam Green feel any better with Republicans in the House?
Will we ever know why the White House abandoned the single-payer option? I think that particular juncture is where Obama lost his "mojo" with his progressive base. What we actually got when the smoke cleared was a gutted bill that only serves to anger the right and depress the left. We whine because Washington seems utterly UNABLE to change itself. Maybe it's time we took a good hard look at what we call "democracy" - and, yes, at alternatives.
"Biden said he thinks Democrats will retain control of both houses of Congress in November, but only if they are able to highlight their differences with Republicans"
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I see this another way. If the Dems TRUTHFULLY highlight their differences with Republicans, they (the DEMS) will be so ever grateful they extended unemployment benefits to 99 weeks!
Easy for Joe to say, he's not running for anything.
Yes. Stop the whining. Also, if you do not get out and vote, be prepared to live with what you get, disguised as leadership.
I love our Vice President. We might have the worst President in the history of the US, but at least Joe is there to keep us entertained.
you tell em Joe – it is about time we heard from you. I hope you take control and give em hell – let's beat those tea bag tea party republicans – we can do it
Biden has a point. The message Dems need to get out is that if the Repugs get in they will try to dismantle health care reform, do away with social security and medicare (oh –the['ll say the elderly who have it can keep it but for the next generation–fini), deregulating big business (remember the BP oil leak?) etc etc. This is important. We need to get to work here.
BIDEN IS CORRECT!
The "professional left" has carried on like big babies. They expect this White House to turn around in less than a year, the same national economic catastrophe that has been building for the past eight years. All while trying to herd a bunch of democratic kittens who act more like sissy cowards in fear of Tea Party's shadow.
Thank you President Obama, President Clinton, Secretary Clinton, and Vice President Biden for standing up and fighting for the middle-class; something the "coward-crats" in Congress are to afraid to do.
Hey biden ,tell that to obama on national tv!Tell him to stop blaming Bush and the republicans for the dems huge failure !
Didn't get this. Didn't get that. How much political leverage can a vote buy? Everybody wants "their piece" of the pie for having voted for Obama. Never in history has a President had to fight, day in and day out. Hell, a whole movement has been financed for the last year and a half to whine about how Obama has stolen the country and dropped the ball. No other president has been so maligned, daily. The Tea Party has droned and droned the sense out of luke warm dems. Biden's right. Quit whining and do something. Vote in some votes for your agendas or shut up.
I would have to say...I am with Adam Green on this issue. Although I DO intend to rally the votes for the Dems, I will also say that Obama has been more than just a mild disappointment. He seems to have lost his backbone, the very principles he campaigned on. I suspect however, he has also tried too often to appease the right, when he should have been representing the Dems all the way...just as the GOP does for their party. Biden needs to be very careful that he doesn't prompt a total disconnect with voters by telling them to "stop whining".
Stop whining ... Summer of Recovery is over. Disappointed? Tough! Stop whining! It's Bush's fault.
Stop whining ... Pelosi/Reid Congress added 4.8 trillion dollars to debt in 3.5 years? Tough! Stop whining! It's Bush's fault.
Stop whining ... Hope and Change! Can't find a job? Keep hoping! Lost your job? Tough ... change happens! It's Bush's fault.
Stop whining ... and thank you for your support.
Yes, look at our choices: bigger government or less government, higher taxes or lower taxes, more freedom or less freedom, more corruption or less corruption, health care bill forced down our throats that raises cost of health care or Obamacare repealed and and affordable health care for all, America another 3rd world nation or America restored.
Don't give us that line about returning to the "Bush era"; the Tea Party and Independents will see to it that we return to what made this nation prosperous in the first place. Biden doesn't have a clue.
I have always been a pretty non-partisan person: I believed that you could take in information and decide about candidates,etc. based on issues and policy questions supported by information. Unfortunately, the current conservative movement–which seems to me unwilling even to consider information–has poisoned that well. While I agree with Adam Green on the broad strokes, I no longer believe that, as a practical matter, one has the (I hate to say it) LUXURY of THINKING about issues and policy. It's either progress or it's not. So . . . while I hate it, I'm with Biden, at least for the foreseeable future. Get out there and make the case that, even if the administration's policies are often half-baked, they're much, much better than the alternative. And I do think it's possible to keep the Senate, though I doubt it is the House.
AGain, Joe speaks the truth. The media lemmings, locked in their "gaffe" narrative, take the low road.
Thank you Joe it is about time. Now go tell your other colleague to grow some balls and handle business
Uh...I thought the traditional role of the VP was to be the attack dog who goes out and attacks the OTHER party. Biden must be confused again. Save some of that criticism for that herd of cats you call a Congress, who refuse to vote for anything unless they can get their earmarks, kickbacks and payola for their own little district, and who vote against their own party's initiatives. Democrats sneer and snicker at Republicans all the time, but they could learn a thing or two about party and message discipline from them.
The great majority of the media predict Dem. will lose control of the House as Biden has lost touch with the real world.
These Unionists need to get a brain. Congress not Obama makes these laws. Wth the Health Care bill Obama wasn't the one who stripped it down to a pathetic version of what it was supposed to be. It was congress who failed America
Joe is right on this one. You folks must have a memory shorter than my you know what if you've forgotten the mess we were in less than 2 years ago and who put us there. Jobs were disappearing at the rate of 700,000 per month. Banks, brokerages, insurance companies, and our whole monetary system was swirling down the toilet. Have we forgotten who led us into two questionable wars financed with money borrowed from the Chinese? What idiot would want to return to that?
Did he at least say it in his best Arnie voice?
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich is a better alternate than a liberal demorat. Union bosses might endorse the liberals but alot of the rank and file will vote for the Conservative(Republican)Candidate.
I think the first person to stop whining is President Obama himself. He's been in office for nearly two years and he keeps bringing up President Bush. Yes, he inherited a mess, but you know what? Roll up your sleeves and get to work, Mr. President. And he really should have paid more attention to the economy (and unemployment) first and foremost. Instead, he let his party spend money on projects that have nothing to do with the economy.
Finally, Biden points out what should be obvious to every Democrat. Don't vote in November and slide back into the bad old days. Nothing complicated about that. Politics is always the choice among less-than-ideal alternatives. Does the average Democrat really believe that not voting will produce the better of these alternatives??!!!!
The only thing that Dems should lament is the fact that they could not get a health plan like we have here in canada. At 75+ and very modest income I have survived countless medical problems that would have and probably has bankrupted many Americans. Don't let the extreme right feed you more crap about our "socialized" medicine.
Ted
Now if he would just tell his boss...
Democrats have no 'balls' to pick up. They make me ashamed to say I lean left. Just say 'filibuster' and they run like little babies to their mommies breast.
Totally correct stop whining and get on with saying what is good about the last 18 months and then turn it over to the future choice of Repubenomics which got us into this mess, and a pledge that increases the deficit by leaving in place a tax cut that costs 470bn per annum ( unfunded) Sorry people but its been there for 10 years and was a major contributor to the deficit inherited by Democrats Oh I forgot dont forget the billions they will spend on missile defence, again unfunded... and the way they talk our next invasions will Yemen and Somalia... Mogadishu all over again and more unfunded war making.
Regards,
Hodgson.
Surprise surprise surprise. Joe's big "strategic suggestion" is to try and link current Republicans to Bush. Joe, Joe, Joe....when are you going to realize that dog doesn't hunt any more? People are smarter than that, and all it does is make you look bad. It takes a lot of guts to call Republicans the Party of No when all Democrats know how to do is jump up and down and say "Bush! Bush! Bush!".
I'm as Liberal as it gets but as far as saying we're WHINING Mr. Vice President, we have every right to be upset and angry. You've been nothing but panzies when it comes to getting good solid bills passed giving in to special interests and Republican gerry-mandering. You haven't done what your base was saying to do after we fought so hard to get you into power. I'm willing to give you two more years since the dumbasses that put Bush into office gave him 8. It's only fair. But dammit, you better follow through and get those things we want done DONE.
That Biden didn't know that this was a time for Omama and him to bow their heads in shame, look at the floor, and remain respectfully silent proves that the Vice President (chosen as a foil for the real star of this mess) is much more stupid than we thought from his gaffs: this VP is actually an idiot.
Don't tell me not to whine... If I don't like what is going on, that is my choice, not yours! Keep it up and I'll vote for the Pubs too in November...
Biden tells Dems to stop whinning an America Tells Biden to stop breathing!
Biden, we'll stop whining when your administration stops breaking promises to the American people who voted for Obama/Biden in 2008 just to appease the conservative forces who attack you no matter what you do. The last 2 years should have been golden years for those of us who supported progressive change for our country. Your victories have been watered-down implementations of our collective dreams, your losses have been maddening considering the Democratic party's supposed control over both the legislative and executive branches of government, and your outright attacks on your own promises (DADT, Equality of All Regardless of Sexual Identity, Guantanimo Bay, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc) have us livid. Don't try to get the party to win in November by framing Democrats as the lesser of two evils. We want the Change we voted for.
Um, if the "base constituency," A.K.A. core of the party is complaining about the party, there is a serious problem with the party.
The bad news: Obama approval rating at 42% (Gallup)
The good news: Republican Aproval rating at 32% (Gallup)
Biden, cleared his comments up on MSNBC! Its all good!
It shouldn't be hard to highlight the differences Joe, spend more getting us deeper in debt than ever in the history of the U.S., allow illegals in the country and then provide all the benefits for them free of charge, put Muslims in high positions within the government, ruin social security, talk instead of defending our resources, bend over backward for China, kiss the God of Saudi's ring and almost lick it off, see to it that our President only goes to church in Novemeber of an election year, fly everyone on vacations to spain etc and pay for super shopping sprees, write legislation that is only understood by a large team of lawyers, fire everyone that bucks the administration and never produce citizenship or birth certificate papers of anyone anymore. These are the main differences between the two parties so what is there to talk about?
Grassroots to Joe Biden. Not only will we quit whining some of us are not voting. We know what the alternative is, but Biden's statement infers we don't have a choice. I don't accept his premise. I say we would be better off without a pompous jerk telling us we should vote for him and shut up. What good is a Democrat who is too busy attacking fellow Democrats while pandering to independents and Republicans. Well, if that is your base fella go for it and see how much support you get.
Asking dems to stop whining is like asking olbermann to put down that burger. aint happening
I agree with Biden – given the alternative. If you want CHANGE then you need to keep moving forward and force the Democrats and some Republicans to the center. Going backwards with old policies that resulted in the economic meltdown of 2008 is not the solution.
The man knows how to tell it like it is.
Democrats and Independents need to remember the past and think about who and what they based their vote on in 2008.
Obama is stillthe same guy. Bringing in Republicans for the next two years can only make things worse. they will not have a over-ride majority evenif they tke back the House and the Senate.
Finish what we started!
Progressive I want to have a word with you. I know how you feel, because I have felt the same way. But, let me tell you want I found out. VP Biden didn't get everything he wanted. He wanted to be President. But that didn't stop him from try to help his fellow Americans. So, we did'nt get everthing. But we got a start. It took years before the civil rights to take full effect, and the same with Social Security and Medicare. Because our cause is not a victory, its a journey to help those who have yet to be born. So, I'm callin on you if you feel and felt and now found why we must vote! Vote in masses. Get everyone to and fro to vote. Get all your family and friends to get register and vote early ballot. let's win before Nov 2. Good luck and God Bless you!
Look at the alternative? Sounds like a game of good cop , bad cop and the joke is on us. Better to let the repubs be in charge so that they can hasten the destruction of our country. The faster its destroyed the quicker we can rebuild it without the influence of a congress and senate who are owned by transnational corporations. ith Repubs in complete control the sooner the loons on the tea-party right will see the light , just like those of uson the left have seen the light as Obama and the Dems capitulated after having a serious electoral mandate and a huge majority in both houses. Its not funny anymore time to burn it to the ground .................The repubs are some greedy heartless corporate owned wackos and they will get us there FASTER than the spineless Dems.
He's right. We can't have everything but something is better then nothing. " Something" can be improved on. " Nothing" like the Pledge to America can not be improved on because it is what made us fail and put us in this position that we are in. We need to give this administration more time. They are slowly improving , but to go back and go deeper into a recession and more loss of jobs, is crazy. If the rich get their way they will continue to send our jobs overseas . The Republicans will spend millions to repeal our healthcare and waste our time. We need to all be there and support President Obama and his team. Democrats get out there and vote the alternative is not the answer.
One more bit of evidence that Obama and his administration are out of touch. The Democratic base is who they need to turn out in November. You dance with the lady that brung ya. By stomping on loyal Democrats, the Obama administration has insured a big defeat this fall. Hope they're satisfied.
Adam Green, you are the man.
Anyone else think we should just give Ole' Joe a strawhat, some suspenders and a shotgun to go walk through the halls of Congress to keep everyone in line? That oughtta straighten things out.
"[We are] picking up the ball that this White House dropped when they refused to fight for the overwhelming popular public option, refused to break up the big banks, and demobilized Obama voters who expected this President to at least fight for big change,"
You didn't vote out the Blue Dogs...The president had to work with them and fought a bare-knuckled fight with them, the GOP, and the insurers to get the best deal he could. Breaking up the big banks without a rational plan to maintain the credit system would've thrown millions more out of work. Change also has to be rational. If you want more change than give Obama a stronger Congressional base through hard political work to make people see the benefits and vote the congress delegations he needs. As Mrs. Roosevelt once said "Throwing mud from the outside won't help."
Gosh, Joe, when the Democrats seem hell-bent on continuing and even strengthening the Republican agenda – I am not bothering to whine. But I may not bother to vote.
I would LOVE to see the results if all ballots had a choice labeled "lesser of two evils – but still corporate evil".
But I have no doubt that a Dem victory will be trumpeted as approval of the same corporate rape of the middle class, and unending war.
What differences with republicans? Under Obama we haven't had a single change in either international or economic plicy. Obama continued the wars, Gitmo detention, our constant threatening of Iran, our squable with both Palestinians and Israel, or standoff with North Korea. Obama continued Bush's bailouts, his tax cuts, and his hands-off approach to big business and Wall Street. NOT A SINGLE THING CHANGED! But of course, people would rather just parrot pundits rather than check the facts for themselves...
Every single point of the republican 'pledge' is a Bush policy. Yes, those worked so well. Let's try them again!
Joe’s right democrats. Stop whining there nothing you can do now. You voted those 2 clowns into the White House what did you expect, leadership?
Good for you Joe. We Democrats have been very guilty of sitting around and complaining, caving in to the right at every opportunity, and generally showing the world a weak and gutless face. If we lose his election against such blithering idiots as Christine O'Donnell, we truly deserve what we get. Stop blathering dry facts at people and show some backbone guys. Get up and fight!
amen. pelosi needs to get off her smug buttox and get the dems to assemble their collective backbone and fight for what;s right, not for just their reelection. politics as usual.
Obama should have never caved into the republicans and let the insurance companies off the hook, he should have gone with the public option and stand up to the repug charge of socialism. But as a president you have to be bi partison.
Why not whine? They have nothing to be proud of thanks to Biden and Obama.
This should be easy to do as the repulsive republicans have done so little except to say "NO" to everything. Their agenda is to try to ruin the Obama Administration at the cost of what will help Americans in favor of what will help Big OiIl, Big business, Big Wall Street and the Rich!
If Joe Blow was at least smart by half he would just sit down,shut up,and stop alienating his base of support. Biden was the wrong choice to begin with. Progressives now realize we have been sold down the river.
Yeah, keep disrespecting the people who got you elected, that's a good stragegy. Start admitting that you all misjudged how we would react to your swift rush to the right, putting Republicans in charge of healthcare, making Olympia Snow and Chuck Grassley famous. You still have Republicans in charge of important financial decisions, we did not vote for Republicans to run things. Admit you misjudged how Republicans would react to you reaching out and being Bi Partisan, a word all progressives now hate, thanks to you. We don't want to vote for Republicans and we won't, but you should watch out in the primaries in 2012.
But the head whiner is Nancy Pelosi. I guess the rest of them are taking their cues from her.
I agree with the Vice President. The administration is getting things done despite the oppsition to everything they're trying to accomplish. I know all of the recent policies aren;t as progressive as I and many other progressives will like them to be, but it's a start. We can always improve the things that need improvement.