What do the Dems have up their sleeve next for Mary?

[Keystone Phil]

Whew, what a week! Failure to pass the Keystone Pipeline on Tuesday, an executive order granting amnesty for illegal immigrants on Thursday...what could Mary Landrieu's party have planned for her next? Will they take a tiny break next week for Thanksgiving or do they have too much work to do to prevent her from cracking 40%?

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Whew, what a week! Failure to pass the Keystone Pipeline on Tuesday, an executive order granting amnesty for illegal immigrants on Thursday...what could Mary Landrieu's party have planned for her next? Will they take a tiny break next week for Thanksgiving or do they have too much work to do to prevent her from cracking 40%?

First off, it's not amnesty. These people that his orders affect are given no permanent residency, no pathway to citizenship, they're just told "Hey, look, for the next 3 years we're going to deport as many criminals as we can rather than wasting our time on lesser problems, so you can come out of the shadows safely for 3 years provided you pay fines and back taxes". There's also some strengthening of DACA. Yes, he's hoping that within 3 years some very long path to citizenship is passed, but that's nothing more than a hope.

Second, the answer is nothing. Obama was going to do these executive orders regardless of how the senate elections went, and the keystone vote only happened because Landrieu quite literally begged Reid to death for several years to allow a clean keystone vote, and he finally obliged.

[Keystone Phil]

Whew, what a week! Failure to pass the Keystone Pipeline on Tuesday, an executive order granting amnesty for illegal immigrants on Thursday...what could Mary Landrieu's party have planned for her next? Will they take a tiny break next week for Thanksgiving or do they have too much work to do to prevent her from cracking 40%?

First off, it's not amnesty. These people that his orders affect are given no permanent residency, no pathway to citizenship, they're just told "Hey, look, for the next 3 years we're going to deport as many criminals as we can rather than wasting our time on lesser problems, so you can come out of the shadows safely for 3 years provided you pay fines and back taxes". There's also some strengthening of DACA. Yes, he's hoping that within 3 years some very long path to citizenship is passed, but that's nothing more than a hope.

Right and after those three years, if they didn't pay up, then it's another President's problem...

This thread is about what's next though. Are we thinking maybe something on the War on Christmas front as we approach that holiday?

[henster]

Nothing, she's done. She should be happy though, she'll likely be making big $$ as a lobbyist. She will be well sought after in the industry.

[Bacon King]

This thread is about what's next though.

The Obamas and Joe Biden visit the state in a highly publicized campaign event for Landrieu. Barack proudly declares Mary Landrieu to be a vital ally, reminding the audience that Obamacare wouldn't have passed without her vote, and Michelle accidentally calls her "Molly Langrove". Biden makes an offensive gaffe about Cajuns.

[DrScholl]

I'm more interested in what plans Republicans have now that they are in control of Congress. I have not heard one idea for helping create jobs.

[KCDem]

This thread is about what's next though.

The Obamas and Joe Biden visit the state in a highly publicized campaign event for Landrieu. Barack proudly declares Mary Landrieu to be a vital ally, reminding the audience that Obamacare wouldn't have passed without her vote, and Michelle accidentally calls her "Molly Langrove". Biden makes an offensive gaffe about Cajuns.

I would actually like to see this happen so that Landrieu loses by more. The fact that she isn't steamrolling Cassidy shows how terrible of a campaigner she actually is.

[Vosem]

I'm more interested in what plans Republicans have now that they are in control of Congress. I have not heard one idea for helping create jobs.

Well, until we install McConnell as Senate Majority Leader and relegate the Democrats back to where they belong, we actually can't bring anything up for a Senate vote, can we?

[The_Doctor]

At this point, it seems the Democratic Party is actively trying to sink her campaign in their bid to please activist liberals. I think the party splits and moderates try to bail her out but leadership and liberals sit it out.

I feel this is a short sighted move (Landrieu would be a reliable vote and a bulwark against a strong GOP majority), but this seems to be a situation where the base is right now the bigger motivating factor to the politicians.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Whew, what a week! Failure to pass the Keystone Pipeline on Tuesday, an executive order granting amnesty for illegal immigrants on Thursday...what could Mary Landrieu's party have planned for her next? Will they take a tiny break next week for Thanksgiving or do they have too much work to do to prevent her from cracking 40%?

First off, it's not amnesty. These people that his orders affect are given no permanent residency, no pathway to citizenship, they're just told "Hey, look, for the next 3 years we're going to deport as many criminals as we can rather than wasting our time on lesser problems, so you can come out of the shadows safely for 3 years provided you pay fines and back taxes". There's also some strengthening of DACA. Yes, he's hoping that within 3 years some very long path to citizenship is passed, but that's nothing more than a hope.

Second, the answer is nothing. Obama was going to do these executive orders regardless of how the senate elections went, and the keystone vote only happened because Landrieu quite literally begged Reid to death for several years to allow a clean keystone vote, and he finally obliged.

Any action that greater potential to encourage then discourage future illegal immigration while attempting resolving the issue of those illegals already present is or might as well be amnesty. Were it not for that likelihood, save for the matter of adhering to rule of law, there would be no practical downside to immediately normalizing and not even bothering with "a path".

Obama can prioritize enforcement of different segments all he wants, but when he gets into the business of offering legal status affirmatively, he is overstepping his powers. He can say don't deport (decrminizalize by default), but he has no power to change the official legal status of these four million or so effected by the order or waive employment regulations regarding the hiring of them.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I'm more interested in what plans Republicans have now that they are in control of Congress. I have not heard one idea for helping create jobs.

You don't need a "plan" to create jobs. And all the better, the Democrats have no chance at all to get whatever the hell their "plan" is through, which is of course great news.

[Holmes]

I'm more interested in what plans Republicans have now that they are in control of Congress. I have not heard one idea for helping create jobs.

Well, until we install McConnell as Senate Majority Leader and relegate the Democrats back to where they belong, we actually can't bring anything up for a Senate vote, can we?

Republicans want to relegate Democrats back to the majority?

[hopper]

She'll be back in 2016 because Vitters seat will be an open seat because Vitter is running for Governor. 

She deserves credit for hanging in this long in a state that has gotten more R since her first election to the US Senate in 1996.

[dmmidmi]

Probably a cushy job as a lobbyist for one of the several energy companies that has poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into her campaigns since 1996.

Yes, she is going to lose. Her consolation prize is that she gets to make millions after she loses.

[pbrower2a]

Running against Senator David Vitter in 2016.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Running against Senator David Vitter in 2016.

Or Governor in 2015 against Vitter.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Running against Senator David Vitter in 2016.

Or Governor in 2015 against Vitter.

Mitch vs. Mary primary battle?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

She'll be back in 2016 because Vitters seat will be an open seat because Vitter is running for Governor. 

She deserves credit for hanging in this long in a state that has gotten more R since her first election to the US Senate in 1996.

Does LA not allow Governor's to appoint Senate vacancies? If they do, then Vitter will likely appoint Steve Scalise to the seat in December of next year (Governor's still take office in December no?).

[hopper]

She'll be back in 2016 because Vitters seat will be an open seat because Vitter is running for Governor. 

She deserves credit for hanging in this long in a state that has gotten more R since her first election to the US Senate in 1996.

Does LA not allow Governor's to appoint Senate vacancies? If they do, then Vitter will likely appoint Steve Scalise to the seat in December of next year (Governor's still take office in December no?).

No, Scalise is number 3 in Republican Leadership in the US House. Why would Scalise ever give a leadership role up? I think Boustany or Fleming will get appointed to the US Senate if that in fact is the correct process to go through. My bets are on Fleming at this point.

[SPQR]

At this point, it seems the Democratic Party is actively trying to sink her campaign in their bid to please activist liberals. I think the party splits and moderates try to bail her out but leadership and liberals sit it out.

I feel this is a short sighted move (Landrieu would be a reliable vote and a bulwark against a strong GOP majority), but this seems to be a situation where the base is right now the bigger motivating factor to the politicians.

Landrieu wouldn't win regardless of what kind of strategy the Democratic Party tried out...

[Wisconsin+17]

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And Michelle declares that no school in Louisiana will serve gumbo, "because gumbo makes you fat". She then loads up on a huge platter.

[CountryClassSF]

Her senior staffer just confirmed that she will "continue" to vote with Obama 97% of the time. 

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

She'll be back in 2016 because Vitters seat will be an open seat because Vitter is running for Governor. 

She deserves credit for hanging in this long in a state that has gotten more R since her first election to the US Senate in 1996.

Does LA not allow Governor's to appoint Senate vacancies? If they do, then Vitter will likely appoint Steve Scalise to the seat in December of next year (Governor's still take office in December no?).

No, Scalise is number 3 in Republican Leadership in the US House. Why would Scalise ever give a leadership role up? I think Boustany or Fleming will get appointed to the US Senate if that in fact is the correct process to go through. My bets are on Fleming at this point.

Trent Lott did it. Mike Pence did it. Also leadership are term limited in the GOP and Scalise could easily be dumped off as a Chairman in seven years, getting passed over for the top job. And whoever takes the Senate seat could occupy it for a long time. If Scalise considers it a more promising route with McCarthy ahead of him for Speaker, as well as Paul Ryan dangling out there as an option, Senate could sound rather appealing and Scalise probably has right of first refusal.

[Bacon King]

Her senior staffer just confirmed that she will "continue" to vote with Obama 97% of the time. 

I'm sure this is an unbiased account of the quote that does not misconstrue anything that anyone said in any way

[CountryClassSF]

Her senior staffer just confirmed that she will "continue" to vote with Obama 97% of the time.  

Go back to hating yourself.

Classy.