ARE UNACCOUNTIBLE LEADERS LIKE RAHM EMANUEL WRECKING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY? LET'S HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE!

Gallup has an interesting poll out this morning that goes a little more deeply into how Americans feel about Congress than just "people are dissatisfied." Although, as expected, Republicans don't like anything, Democrats are also disappointed or angry, particularly on Iraq and immigration.

The two issues at the bottom of Democrats’ rankings of Congress -- immigration and Iraq -- both apparently tap Democratic frustration with congressional inaction or failure to prevail over the Republicans.
With a comprehensive immigration reform bill dying in late June, it is perhaps not surprising that 16% of Democrats say they are “angry” about congressional Democrats’ handling of immigration.

Similarly, the Democrats’ failure to force President Bush to pull out of Iraq, or at least to support a timetable for withdrawing troops, perhaps explains why 17% of Democrats are angry with congressional Democrats on the Iraq issue.

...Democrats took power in January 2007 with a pre-scripted agenda for what they would accomplish in the first 100 legislative hours, but also offering the customary promises about working in a bipartisan fashion to do the nation’s business. At the time, 37% of Republicans and 39% of Democrats approved of the job Congress as a whole was doing. As of October, only 25% of Republicans and 26% of Democrats approve.

There isn't much in the results that can give the RNCC any hope for gain. The fact that Democratic voters are angry at the Democratic leadership for not being stronger and more effective opponents of the Bush Regime and its Republican congressional lackeys is hardly promising for Republican candidates.

As I mentioned yesterday, one of the top leaders-- if not the top leader-- among House Democrats, Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) is experiencing a week of accountability in his home district for his abysmal leadership. Emanuel, whose political career is based on his aggressive support for corporate, anti-union trade policies like NAFTA, has worked behind the scenes to prevent effective anti-war legislation and has been the mover and shaker in pushing an anti-immigrant agenda among his House colleagues.

Starting today, Blue America's full page ads (click here for the English version; click the ad on the left for the Polish version) will start running in Spanish language, Korean and Polish newspapers. Blue America's partners on the ground, such as the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, are holding a press conference outside of Rep. Emanuel's office and visiting with radio DJs to discuss Emanuel's unwillingness to represent his constituents' interests. If you would like to send a message to the Democratic leadership that we are serious about comprehensive immigration reform that goes beyond demagoguery and Republican talking points and if you want to see pro-Iraq war Democrats like Emanuel and Hoyer represent the 70% of Americans who are serious about ending the war and no longer interested in their treachery and game-playing, please consider making a contribution to The Accountability Moment.