Macaca
12-12 10:27 AM
Pelosi vows more civil approach � next year (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1207/7335.html) By Jim VandeHei and John F. Harris | The Politico, Dec 12, 2007
Across the ideological spectrum, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has dashed expectations.
On the right, the hope was that Pelosi would be the tallest lightning rod in Washington � playing to type as a �San Francisco liberal� and handing the Republican minority all manner of ideological openings to exploit. For the most part, that has not happened.
On the left, the hope was that Pelosi would lead the newly empowered Democrats to hijack President Bush�s agenda on the issue that matters most to party activists � ending the Iraq war.
To Pelosi�s regret, that has not happened either.
Appraisals of Pelosi�s first year revolve around these fallen hopes and come with still another surprise: For all her history-making status as the first woman to run the House, Pelosi has emerged as a fairly conventional leader.
This is partly to her credit.
She has run a highly disciplined operation, keeping a potentially fractious caucus unified on tough issues.
And she has restrained some of her own instincts representing one of the nation�s most liberal districts.
With a couple of prominent exceptions, she has not handed Republicans opportunities to exploit impolitic statements or legislative maneuvers.
But conventionality has come at a steep cost.
Few members of either party, when speaking privately, argue that what Congress needs most is a change of party with a continuation of the highly partisan status quo.
In many ways, that�s what Pelosi represents.
Democrats bridled at being marginalized under 12 years of Republican rule, but Pelosi has treated turnabout as fair play.
Bending a promise made to voters in the last election, the speaker has shut Republicans out of many debates by limiting their ability to offer alternative ideas on the House floor and made only modest attempts to engage Republicans on many issues, notably Iraq.
This represents a probably accurate calculation about what�s necessary to keep her own party cohesive.
But polarized government has also thwarted some of Pelosi�s own objectives.
The first of those is forcing Bush to end the war. �All of the good things that we did, which were, I mean, astounding � are eclipsed by the war in Iraq,� she said in a Politico interview.
She added that she has been surprised by Democrats� inability to peel off GOP dissenters.
�If I had to say one thing that I would have appraised differently � it would have been that I would not have expected the Republicans in Congress to stick with the president on this war this long,� she said. �Not from their personal statements to us privately or the public mood in their own districts.�
The inability to resolve the Iraq debate or tackle the other most pressing issues is one reason the number of people saying they disapprove of the performance of Congress � at 70 percent in some recent surveys � has risen 15 to 20 points or more since the start of the year.
Pelosi acknowledged she and her leadership team could have done better at managing expectations.
�Maybe we should have been thinking about how we were communicating with the public more,� she said. �Maybe I should have from the start just established what we were doing instead of having to be responsive to the press about �somebody said this, they thought you were doing that,� because this place is a total rumor mill.�
Even so, Pelosi made clear that she is fine with drawing sharp, partisan lines when necessary.
�I certainly want my speakership to be distinguished by a level of civility and bipartisanship when that�s possible,� she said. �That is what I hope to do in this next year, I really do.�
But as for this year? �I had a job to get done this year,� she said. �I had a decision to make; I had to remove obstacles to getting a job done.�
She got it done, at times.
Early in the session, Democrats moved their �six for �06� package promised in the previous election. That included raising the minimum wage, enacting homeland security upgrades and reducing student loan rates.
They also helped their members by pushing for more spending on children�s health care, a political no-brainer for many members, and demanding that Congress offset the cost of new spending with spending cuts or revenue increases elsewhere.
Along the way, the elegantly styled speaker, a grandmother of seven, proved herself a steel magnolia � a self-confident leader who projected strength in a way that caused powerful subordinates to defer to her.
Even Vice President Cheney complimented (in a distinctly backhanded way) her leadership, noting he was surprised that such old Democratic bulls of the House as Reps. John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania and John Dingell of Michigan seem to follow her lead.
�They are not carrying the big sticks I would have expected,� Cheney told Politico.
�There�s a woman who runs that place with an iron hand,� Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told Politico in an interview. �I am sure that some people are a little disappointed [that] this diminutive, very attractive woman is bowling people over � men and women.�
Pelosi has succeeded in part by having her own team of old bulls, such as Rep. George Miller of California, and younger bulls, such as Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, on her team.
What is sometimes called a weakness � a penchant for micromanaging, for instance � has helped tighten her grip and enhance her standing.
She has muffed up on a few high-profile occasions. A trip to Syria earlier this year was ridiculed by Republicans as clumsy, freelance diplomacy.
She was forced by her Democratic colleagues to quit pushing for the Armenian genocide resolution because it was clearly complicating U.S. relations with Turkey.
The final verdict on her handling of the Iraq debate awaits the year ahead � whether Democrats can either force a change in policy or make Republicans pay a heavy price in the 2008 elections.
For now, the best grade Pelosi can get is incomplete: Democrats have had no substantive success in changing policy.
One what-if echoes. Some members say Democrats missed a golden opportunity early in the summer to find compromise and split Republicans from Bush, laying the groundwork for limits on the military operation.
Pelosi instead pursued an unyielding approach that turned off even the war skeptics inside the GOP.
In a sign of the pressures Pelosi is under, however, it is the anti-war liberals in her own party who offer the harshest assessment of the Pelosi reign so far.
�When you look back at this year, it will be defined as the year of lost opportunities,� said Ohio Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, a long-shot presidential candidate. �This was the time to use the power of the majority to chart a new direction. So far it�s been � not only a missed opportunity but a failure.�
California Rep. Lynn Woolsey added: �I personally don�t think [the strategy] worked. As a result, everything we�ve done on student loans, minimum wage, the six in �06 agenda gets lost.�
By one standard, however, Pelosi can look back on 2007 as a clear success. Her party is as well-organized, and her own position within it more secure, at year�s end compared with year�s start.
�I am not going to let one issue blow up this caucus,� she said. �We always strive for unity.�
Across the ideological spectrum, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has dashed expectations.
On the right, the hope was that Pelosi would be the tallest lightning rod in Washington � playing to type as a �San Francisco liberal� and handing the Republican minority all manner of ideological openings to exploit. For the most part, that has not happened.
On the left, the hope was that Pelosi would lead the newly empowered Democrats to hijack President Bush�s agenda on the issue that matters most to party activists � ending the Iraq war.
To Pelosi�s regret, that has not happened either.
Appraisals of Pelosi�s first year revolve around these fallen hopes and come with still another surprise: For all her history-making status as the first woman to run the House, Pelosi has emerged as a fairly conventional leader.
This is partly to her credit.
She has run a highly disciplined operation, keeping a potentially fractious caucus unified on tough issues.
And she has restrained some of her own instincts representing one of the nation�s most liberal districts.
With a couple of prominent exceptions, she has not handed Republicans opportunities to exploit impolitic statements or legislative maneuvers.
But conventionality has come at a steep cost.
Few members of either party, when speaking privately, argue that what Congress needs most is a change of party with a continuation of the highly partisan status quo.
In many ways, that�s what Pelosi represents.
Democrats bridled at being marginalized under 12 years of Republican rule, but Pelosi has treated turnabout as fair play.
Bending a promise made to voters in the last election, the speaker has shut Republicans out of many debates by limiting their ability to offer alternative ideas on the House floor and made only modest attempts to engage Republicans on many issues, notably Iraq.
This represents a probably accurate calculation about what�s necessary to keep her own party cohesive.
But polarized government has also thwarted some of Pelosi�s own objectives.
The first of those is forcing Bush to end the war. �All of the good things that we did, which were, I mean, astounding � are eclipsed by the war in Iraq,� she said in a Politico interview.
She added that she has been surprised by Democrats� inability to peel off GOP dissenters.
�If I had to say one thing that I would have appraised differently � it would have been that I would not have expected the Republicans in Congress to stick with the president on this war this long,� she said. �Not from their personal statements to us privately or the public mood in their own districts.�
The inability to resolve the Iraq debate or tackle the other most pressing issues is one reason the number of people saying they disapprove of the performance of Congress � at 70 percent in some recent surveys � has risen 15 to 20 points or more since the start of the year.
Pelosi acknowledged she and her leadership team could have done better at managing expectations.
�Maybe we should have been thinking about how we were communicating with the public more,� she said. �Maybe I should have from the start just established what we were doing instead of having to be responsive to the press about �somebody said this, they thought you were doing that,� because this place is a total rumor mill.�
Even so, Pelosi made clear that she is fine with drawing sharp, partisan lines when necessary.
�I certainly want my speakership to be distinguished by a level of civility and bipartisanship when that�s possible,� she said. �That is what I hope to do in this next year, I really do.�
But as for this year? �I had a job to get done this year,� she said. �I had a decision to make; I had to remove obstacles to getting a job done.�
She got it done, at times.
Early in the session, Democrats moved their �six for �06� package promised in the previous election. That included raising the minimum wage, enacting homeland security upgrades and reducing student loan rates.
They also helped their members by pushing for more spending on children�s health care, a political no-brainer for many members, and demanding that Congress offset the cost of new spending with spending cuts or revenue increases elsewhere.
Along the way, the elegantly styled speaker, a grandmother of seven, proved herself a steel magnolia � a self-confident leader who projected strength in a way that caused powerful subordinates to defer to her.
Even Vice President Cheney complimented (in a distinctly backhanded way) her leadership, noting he was surprised that such old Democratic bulls of the House as Reps. John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania and John Dingell of Michigan seem to follow her lead.
�They are not carrying the big sticks I would have expected,� Cheney told Politico.
�There�s a woman who runs that place with an iron hand,� Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told Politico in an interview. �I am sure that some people are a little disappointed [that] this diminutive, very attractive woman is bowling people over � men and women.�
Pelosi has succeeded in part by having her own team of old bulls, such as Rep. George Miller of California, and younger bulls, such as Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, on her team.
What is sometimes called a weakness � a penchant for micromanaging, for instance � has helped tighten her grip and enhance her standing.
She has muffed up on a few high-profile occasions. A trip to Syria earlier this year was ridiculed by Republicans as clumsy, freelance diplomacy.
She was forced by her Democratic colleagues to quit pushing for the Armenian genocide resolution because it was clearly complicating U.S. relations with Turkey.
The final verdict on her handling of the Iraq debate awaits the year ahead � whether Democrats can either force a change in policy or make Republicans pay a heavy price in the 2008 elections.
For now, the best grade Pelosi can get is incomplete: Democrats have had no substantive success in changing policy.
One what-if echoes. Some members say Democrats missed a golden opportunity early in the summer to find compromise and split Republicans from Bush, laying the groundwork for limits on the military operation.
Pelosi instead pursued an unyielding approach that turned off even the war skeptics inside the GOP.
In a sign of the pressures Pelosi is under, however, it is the anti-war liberals in her own party who offer the harshest assessment of the Pelosi reign so far.
�When you look back at this year, it will be defined as the year of lost opportunities,� said Ohio Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, a long-shot presidential candidate. �This was the time to use the power of the majority to chart a new direction. So far it�s been � not only a missed opportunity but a failure.�
California Rep. Lynn Woolsey added: �I personally don�t think [the strategy] worked. As a result, everything we�ve done on student loans, minimum wage, the six in �06 agenda gets lost.�
By one standard, however, Pelosi can look back on 2007 as a clear success. Her party is as well-organized, and her own position within it more secure, at year�s end compared with year�s start.
�I am not going to let one issue blow up this caucus,� she said. �We always strive for unity.�
wallpaper Black Birthday 22-Happy
Blog Feeds
05-05 06:40 AM
Immigration Visa Attorney Blog Has Just Posted the Following:
So far, the USCIS has announced that it received 5,900 H-1B applications for the normal quota and an additional 4,500 for the advanced degree quota. These numbers were released yesterday, April 7, 2011.
In years past, many remember that the H-1B quota was exhausted as early as the first day of applications. Last year, the H-1B cap was not reached until January the following year. I would anticipate that with the economy still rebounding, the H-1B quota will last a significant amount of time. This will also ensure that everyone who can find a job offer this year will have a chance to make an H-1B application. Please contact the business immigration attorneys at Fong & Chun, LLP for a free consultation if you are interested in applying for an H-1B this year! ---ecf
More... (http://www.immigrationvisaattorneyblog.com/2011/04/h-1b-quota---2012-cap.html)
So far, the USCIS has announced that it received 5,900 H-1B applications for the normal quota and an additional 4,500 for the advanced degree quota. These numbers were released yesterday, April 7, 2011.
In years past, many remember that the H-1B quota was exhausted as early as the first day of applications. Last year, the H-1B cap was not reached until January the following year. I would anticipate that with the economy still rebounding, the H-1B quota will last a significant amount of time. This will also ensure that everyone who can find a job offer this year will have a chance to make an H-1B application. Please contact the business immigration attorneys at Fong & Chun, LLP for a free consultation if you are interested in applying for an H-1B this year! ---ecf
More... (http://www.immigrationvisaattorneyblog.com/2011/04/h-1b-quota---2012-cap.html)
rkp27
11-01 11:55 AM
I got my gc.. this was happned with my friend.... :rolleyes:
2011 Happy Birthday Myspace
go2roomshare
02-27 09:01 PM
Does any one have any advice about AC21
Is it advisable to file AC21 soon after changing/ joining new employer?
OR
Just keep quite and look for any RFE, if any RFE comes up send AC21 form and updated employer information along with it.
IS there any guidelines from people who already did it successfully
Is it advisable to file AC21 soon after changing/ joining new employer?
OR
Just keep quite and look for any RFE, if any RFE comes up send AC21 form and updated employer information along with it.
IS there any guidelines from people who already did it successfully
more...
immigration.matters10
07-18 07:50 AM
I work for company A. I am on a project actively with an end client from last one year. My company A stopped paying me from past 5 months in spite of them getting paid from the vendor. I have requested my company to release all my payments pending from last 5 months repeatedly. But they don't seem to bother. I am planning to change my employer now.
My question is Am i out of status since I am not getting paid from last 5 months? I have luckily all the copies of pay stubs till a month ago. Only thing is that I haven;t received them yet. Please let me know
My question is Am i out of status since I am not getting paid from last 5 months? I have luckily all the copies of pay stubs till a month ago. Only thing is that I haven;t received them yet. Please let me know
fasterthanlight�
06-19 02:38 PM
Black text and white background is too much contrast. Make the text a medium grey, and it should look even more spectacular.
more...
go_guy123
10-19 10:36 AM
Someone thought this was okay?
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2009/10/target-apologizes-for-immigrant-halloween-costume.html)
This also points to the fact that illegal immigrant amnesty is such a charged issue, CIR is extremely difficult to be passed into law (passed by Congress and Senate)
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2009/10/target-apologizes-for-immigrant-halloween-costume.html)
This also points to the fact that illegal immigrant amnesty is such a charged issue, CIR is extremely difficult to be passed into law (passed by Congress and Senate)
2010 Happy 22nd Birthday to Brendon
paskal
01-25 09:17 PM
don't graduate till the summer semester
stay and take a course
or arrange to have CPT
or just go home and enjoy 3 mnths, your H1B will be stamped in the proccess
you application must be amended not to say adustment of status (in the US), the approval can be sent to your local consulate
or go on an O-1 if you can qualify....
stay and take a course
or arrange to have CPT
or just go home and enjoy 3 mnths, your H1B will be stamped in the proccess
you application must be amended not to say adustment of status (in the US), the approval can be sent to your local consulate
or go on an O-1 if you can qualify....
more...
santa123
08-05 08:26 PM
Anti-Immigrants are spreading their message on prime time TV.
I was watching CNN and all of a sudden there was this ad by http://www.american***ker.org( I dont want to advt for them):mad:
May be this msg is old, but I saw this for the first time today and it left a bad taste in my mouth.
What was sad about the whole thing was that the message was so misleading that even the average Joe out there would blindly believe this msg. The antis clearly hid the facts and rode heavily on the unemployment wagon, eventually blaming foreign workers for all their misery.
Oh God save legal immigrants!!!
I was watching CNN and all of a sudden there was this ad by http://www.american***ker.org( I dont want to advt for them):mad:
May be this msg is old, but I saw this for the first time today and it left a bad taste in my mouth.
What was sad about the whole thing was that the message was so misleading that even the average Joe out there would blindly believe this msg. The antis clearly hid the facts and rode heavily on the unemployment wagon, eventually blaming foreign workers for all their misery.
Oh God save legal immigrants!!!
hair Happy Birthday 22 Years Old.
sunny1000
03-17 12:46 AM
If I were going to spend over a year in a country which required a visa to visit (such as Nigeria), in order to study the local culture, which kind of visa would I need to obtain before hand? Business, work, study, visitor, etc?
Thanks!
you should contact their Embassy/Consulate for details.
Thanks!
you should contact their Embassy/Consulate for details.
more...
hpandey
05-01 09:20 PM
This is a standard response message which comes after USCIS receives the response to RFE and resumes case processing.
There is no way to determine when the case would be adjudicated and what will be the result. It could happen next week or take months.
There is no way to determine when the case would be adjudicated and what will be the result. It could happen next week or take months.
hot Happy Birthday 22 Years Old.
upuaut8
08-17 12:58 AM
thanks for deleting those posts. :)
more...
house 0022_yui-happy-irthday-22.jpg
uma_vishi
03-15 10:45 AM
Hi All,
Please help me with this. i came to USA on L1B visa in 2005 with 1 year petition and got extension for 2 more years i.e till feb 2008 but went to india for good in June 2007.
Again we came back with new L1B petition in Oct 2007 and got 3 years visa i.e, till Oct 2010.
1) Now if company apply for extension on L1B how many years ext i'll get?
2) Now if Company B wants to file new H1B for me, how many years of visa i'll get.
i was never on H1 before this is my first time H1B.
Please help me with this as soon as possible.
Thanks in Advance.
Please help me with this. i came to USA on L1B visa in 2005 with 1 year petition and got extension for 2 more years i.e till feb 2008 but went to india for good in June 2007.
Again we came back with new L1B petition in Oct 2007 and got 3 years visa i.e, till Oct 2010.
1) Now if company apply for extension on L1B how many years ext i'll get?
2) Now if Company B wants to file new H1B for me, how many years of visa i'll get.
i was never on H1 before this is my first time H1B.
Please help me with this as soon as possible.
Thanks in Advance.
tattoo Happy Birthday 22nd Bday Baby
indyanguy
10-01 10:19 PM
Here you go:
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed (http://online.onetcenter.org/find/zone?z=5&g=Go)
The software related ones in the list are:
1. Computer Teachers
2. Computer Scientists
3. Operation Research Analysts
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed (http://online.onetcenter.org/find/zone?z=5&g=Go)
The software related ones in the list are:
1. Computer Teachers
2. Computer Scientists
3. Operation Research Analysts
more...
pictures Happy Birthday Graham!
kirupa
03-20 08:17 PM
Added!
dresses IT#39;S HAPPY BIRTHDAY: THE
rjakkani
03-01 06:02 PM
I have a approved I-140 with company A. It is a substitute labor.
I am getting laid off end of the month and I have a new offer from company B.
Can I port priority date of this I-140 to new company B? Does porting work for substitute labor also?
Thanks
I am getting laid off end of the month and I have a new offer from company B.
Can I port priority date of this I-140 to new company B? Does porting work for substitute labor also?
Thanks
more...
makeup This happy birthday banner is
Macaca
06-02 08:13 PM
Dems have tough time enacting changes (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DEMOCRATS_WHATS_DIFFERENT?SITE=VAROA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT) By CHARLES BABINGTON Associated Press Writer Jun 2
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Under a portrait of George Washington and a sign proclaiming "A New Direction," Democratic lawmakers boasted of their accomplishments their first five months running Congress.
Their press release covered two pages.
Yet most people might be excused for hardly noticing, except maybe those who are paid the minimum wage or who live in hurricane-ravaged areas.
Upon taking control in January, Democrats led efforts to increase the minimum wage for the first time in a decade and to force modest spending increases in hurricane and drought relief, children's health care and a few other areas.
Beyond that, the majority party has found it difficult or impossible to redirect federal policies, thwarted by a veto-wielding Republican president whose congressional allies hold nearly half the Senate seats and a significant portion of the House.
To the frustration of their liberal base, Democrats have been unable to mandate a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq. Nor have they found a way to boost federal support for embryonic stem cell research, rewrite tax and spending priorities or force the removal of an embattled attorney general.
Their promises to reduce student loan rates, overhaul lobbying practices and put in place recommendations of the Sept. 11 commission are works in progress, at best.
They have largely abandoned their push to allow the government to negotiate prescription drug prices for the Medicare program in the face of Bush's opposition.
Democratic voters might be disappointed, but they should not be surprised, say congressional scholars and political strategists. While Democrats can set the legislative agenda and investigate the Bush administration, they "don't have the power" to determine the results, said Ronald Walters, a political scientist at the University of Maryland.
Lacking the two-thirds majorities needed in both chambers to override a veto, Democrats must make the most of their abilities to pressure the White House, hold oversight hearings and drive the toughest bargains they can, Walters said.
"Democrats are in a negotiating framework consistently," Walters said. "That's where they will be as long as the president has a veto pen."
Even the Democrats' most clear-cut legislative victory - raising the minimum wage to $7.25 from the current $5.15 over three years - has questionable impact.
Only a small fraction of workers earns the minimum wage, and Democrats had to buy Republican support with $4.84 billion in new tax cuts for small businesses.
Still, raising the minimum wage has value as a fairness issue, some Democrats say. They urge the party's constituents to welcome such symbolic and incremental victories in a divided government.
Having Democrats control the House and Senate "makes a huge difference, given the set of challenges the country faces and given that so little was done in the last Congress," said former Democratic Rep. Tim Roemer of Indiana, a member of the Sept. 11 commission.
Democrats have shifted the debate in important ways that may lead to policy changes in this Congress or the next, he said.
On Iraq, Roemer said "it's no longer a question of if" the United States will adopt a withdrawal timeline, only a question of when.
Citing global warming, he said Congress is no longer seriously debating whether the problem exists - as it did last year under Republican control- but considering how to address it.
Veteran Democrats say party supporters must understand that legislative victories often will come at the margins of major issues.
Consider children's health care, a Democratic campaign priority. Congress in May added an immediate $650 million to the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Budget bills for 2008 call for an extra $50 billion, but the effort must survive the appropriations process, and Bush has pledged to veto measures he considers too costly.
Democratic leaders hailed the increases for the children's program, even as they acknowledged the proposed new spending would hardly fill the health insurance gaps.
The change in control of Congress is important, "but what it doesn't mean is the Democrats can impose their will," said Florida Democrat Bob Graham, a former senator, governor and presidential candidate. "It does mean the Democrats can set the agenda and force issues" to the forefront, such as a minimum wage raise that Republicans had blocked for years.
Perhaps the most dramatic change in Congress involves the rising number and intensity of hearings into alleged misdoings by the administration.
Subjects of investigations include contracting practices in Iraq; the use of prewar intelligence; the firings of federal prosecutors; the use of warrantless wiretaps; the friendly fire death in Afghanistan of Army Cpl. Pat Tillman; and the use of political e-mail accounts by White House officials.
The "amazing lack of oversight of White House programs and initiatives" that existed under GOP-controlled congresses has ended, Walters said.
Some Democratic activists say it is important to remind voters that Bush and congressional Republicans play a central role in legislative impasses.
"It's hard to see a lot getting done," said lobbyist Steve Elmendorf, a former top House Democratic aide. "I don't know if Bush has the juice to deliver the Republican votes he needs" even on issues the president strongly backs, such as a proposed overhaul of immigration laws, he said.
At the end of this Congress, Elmendorf predicted, Democrats will have "a record of fiscal responsibility" and voters will understand that they could not overcome Bush's resistance on matters such as embryonic stem cell research.
As for the Iraq war, he said, even if Democrats can't force a withdrawal deadline, "the message that Americans are getting is: Democrats want change, Republicans don't."
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Under a portrait of George Washington and a sign proclaiming "A New Direction," Democratic lawmakers boasted of their accomplishments their first five months running Congress.
Their press release covered two pages.
Yet most people might be excused for hardly noticing, except maybe those who are paid the minimum wage or who live in hurricane-ravaged areas.
Upon taking control in January, Democrats led efforts to increase the minimum wage for the first time in a decade and to force modest spending increases in hurricane and drought relief, children's health care and a few other areas.
Beyond that, the majority party has found it difficult or impossible to redirect federal policies, thwarted by a veto-wielding Republican president whose congressional allies hold nearly half the Senate seats and a significant portion of the House.
To the frustration of their liberal base, Democrats have been unable to mandate a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq. Nor have they found a way to boost federal support for embryonic stem cell research, rewrite tax and spending priorities or force the removal of an embattled attorney general.
Their promises to reduce student loan rates, overhaul lobbying practices and put in place recommendations of the Sept. 11 commission are works in progress, at best.
They have largely abandoned their push to allow the government to negotiate prescription drug prices for the Medicare program in the face of Bush's opposition.
Democratic voters might be disappointed, but they should not be surprised, say congressional scholars and political strategists. While Democrats can set the legislative agenda and investigate the Bush administration, they "don't have the power" to determine the results, said Ronald Walters, a political scientist at the University of Maryland.
Lacking the two-thirds majorities needed in both chambers to override a veto, Democrats must make the most of their abilities to pressure the White House, hold oversight hearings and drive the toughest bargains they can, Walters said.
"Democrats are in a negotiating framework consistently," Walters said. "That's where they will be as long as the president has a veto pen."
Even the Democrats' most clear-cut legislative victory - raising the minimum wage to $7.25 from the current $5.15 over three years - has questionable impact.
Only a small fraction of workers earns the minimum wage, and Democrats had to buy Republican support with $4.84 billion in new tax cuts for small businesses.
Still, raising the minimum wage has value as a fairness issue, some Democrats say. They urge the party's constituents to welcome such symbolic and incremental victories in a divided government.
Having Democrats control the House and Senate "makes a huge difference, given the set of challenges the country faces and given that so little was done in the last Congress," said former Democratic Rep. Tim Roemer of Indiana, a member of the Sept. 11 commission.
Democrats have shifted the debate in important ways that may lead to policy changes in this Congress or the next, he said.
On Iraq, Roemer said "it's no longer a question of if" the United States will adopt a withdrawal timeline, only a question of when.
Citing global warming, he said Congress is no longer seriously debating whether the problem exists - as it did last year under Republican control- but considering how to address it.
Veteran Democrats say party supporters must understand that legislative victories often will come at the margins of major issues.
Consider children's health care, a Democratic campaign priority. Congress in May added an immediate $650 million to the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Budget bills for 2008 call for an extra $50 billion, but the effort must survive the appropriations process, and Bush has pledged to veto measures he considers too costly.
Democratic leaders hailed the increases for the children's program, even as they acknowledged the proposed new spending would hardly fill the health insurance gaps.
The change in control of Congress is important, "but what it doesn't mean is the Democrats can impose their will," said Florida Democrat Bob Graham, a former senator, governor and presidential candidate. "It does mean the Democrats can set the agenda and force issues" to the forefront, such as a minimum wage raise that Republicans had blocked for years.
Perhaps the most dramatic change in Congress involves the rising number and intensity of hearings into alleged misdoings by the administration.
Subjects of investigations include contracting practices in Iraq; the use of prewar intelligence; the firings of federal prosecutors; the use of warrantless wiretaps; the friendly fire death in Afghanistan of Army Cpl. Pat Tillman; and the use of political e-mail accounts by White House officials.
The "amazing lack of oversight of White House programs and initiatives" that existed under GOP-controlled congresses has ended, Walters said.
Some Democratic activists say it is important to remind voters that Bush and congressional Republicans play a central role in legislative impasses.
"It's hard to see a lot getting done," said lobbyist Steve Elmendorf, a former top House Democratic aide. "I don't know if Bush has the juice to deliver the Republican votes he needs" even on issues the president strongly backs, such as a proposed overhaul of immigration laws, he said.
At the end of this Congress, Elmendorf predicted, Democrats will have "a record of fiscal responsibility" and voters will understand that they could not overcome Bush's resistance on matters such as embryonic stem cell research.
As for the Iraq war, he said, even if Democrats can't force a withdrawal deadline, "the message that Americans are getting is: Democrats want change, Republicans don't."
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Circus123
06-28 06:37 PM
Guys,
Can someone confirm if 1 year of OPT training also counts towards work experience? My friend needs to know since he needs to apply for Labor Certification and wanted to find out if this experience can be counted apart from the H1-B working experience.
Circus...
Can someone confirm if 1 year of OPT training also counts towards work experience? My friend needs to know since he needs to apply for Labor Certification and wanted to find out if this experience can be counted apart from the H1-B working experience.
Circus...
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virtual55
11-22 01:57 PM
Hello Gurus,
Can we change company based upon approved I140 and get a 3 H1B in the 7th year of H1
what happens if my previous employer cancels I140.
Can we change company based upon approved I140 and get a 3 H1B in the 7th year of H1
what happens if my previous employer cancels I140.
moises07
01-08 08:56 AM
How can I wrap Text around a 3D object created in either Swift 3D v1 or v2?
Moises
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Moises
www.sigmalambdabeta.com (http://www.sigmalambdabeta.com)
MailForHoneyOnly
10-01 01:56 PM
Hi,
I'm on H1 on 8th Year Extension,Got a nice offer from a company, which is not large company, but projects they have are very long term projects I applied for 485 long timeback, but did not applied for my spouse , who is on H4 , applied for H1 which will be validated from 1st Oct'06.Can I switch the company now and start using EAD and apply for my spouse when my PD becomes current , or wait with the current employer till I apply for 485.
Need SUggestion.
or
Can I ask new company to start new GC Process under Perm and apply for I-140 and once its get approved, Use My EB3 PD with the EB2 Perm Application.
Or
Can I use H1 Transfer and AC-21 option since my 8th year extension is till end of 2009.
Any Suggestions will be Very Helpful
I'm on H1 on 8th Year Extension,Got a nice offer from a company, which is not large company, but projects they have are very long term projects I applied for 485 long timeback, but did not applied for my spouse , who is on H4 , applied for H1 which will be validated from 1st Oct'06.Can I switch the company now and start using EAD and apply for my spouse when my PD becomes current , or wait with the current employer till I apply for 485.
Need SUggestion.
or
Can I ask new company to start new GC Process under Perm and apply for I-140 and once its get approved, Use My EB3 PD with the EB2 Perm Application.
Or
Can I use H1 Transfer and AC-21 option since my 8th year extension is till end of 2009.
Any Suggestions will be Very Helpful
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