Call The Bluff

Call The Bluff

by digby

Who could have ever predicted that the Republicans (plus Bennie) would filibuster financial reform? Bowl me over with a feather.

As I have written ad nauseam, this isn't some deeply complicated Machiavellian strategy. They have done this since the moment Obama took office. they string the dems along, pretending to be earnestly engaged. Then they take offense at some irrelevant, niggling detail and vote against it en masse, holding out the bait that they may come back if the Dems will just water it down a little more to please them. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Fine, there are some things in this world you can't really do much about and in the case of the stimulus or health care reform you can make an argument that they had to do whatever it took to get them passed. Not this time. This is a hugely important problem and one that desperately needs to be fixed. And if the Republicans refuse to help do that, let them obstruct this legislation and take it to the voters. If the GOP wants to run on a platform of coddling rich bankers I say let them do it. The Democrats should come back with an even stronger plan and tell these idiots to take it or leave it.

This is the equivalent of Newtie shutting down the government in 1995. The democrats ned to call their bluff.

The PCCC is out with the relevant petition:

"Too big too fail" is too big to exist.

Sign our petition demanding the Senate break up the big banks.

BREAKING NEWS: Minutes ago, Senate Republicans filibustered the Wall Street accountability bill!

Senate Democrats now face a choice: water down the bill and beg Republicans for "bipartisanship" or offer an even STRONGER bill and DARE Republicans to keep blocking reform.

Two brave Senators -- Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Ted Kaufman (D-DE) -- announced they will stand strong and do what politicians have been afraid to do for too long: offer a proposal to BREAK UP the big banks that dragged our whole economy down.

Can you join thousands of other Americans in signing our petition supporting this bold new move?

We'll deliver all signatures to Senators Brown and Kaufman so they can use this grassroots support to persuade other senators to join them in being strong. (The more momentum they gain, the better -- so please forward this email to others.)

On the petition page, you can write a note about why you want to break up the big banks, which the senators may read this week on the Senate floor. After you sign, you'll see your senator's phone number. Thousands of us making calls at this moment will make a big difference.

Please show your support for breaking up the big banks by signing our petition today.

Dozens of experts and economists are supporting the proposal. Here's what former Labor Secretary Robert Reich wrote on his blog:

As long as the big banks are allowed to remain big, their political leverage over Washington will remain big. And as long as their political leverage remains big, the taxpayer and economic tab for the next mess they create will be big.

This debate is moving fast, and now is the time we need to tell Senate Democrats to be bolder and stronger.

Sign our "break up the big banks" petition today -- then pass this email to others.