Put Bunning's charade aside for a moment and try to imagine that in a democratically-elected form of government that ONE LUNATIC can stall something this important!
My point is; this isn't about Bunning, it's about both parties, who have so rigged the Congress that such twisted procedural behaviors are both eminently doable and acceptable.
"Secret holds" and filibusterless-filibusters and super-majority gags are the stuff of banana republics, not the United States. But day by day, we resemble them more and more....
I agree that now is the time to go back to the old procedures for filibusters, where the Senator actually has to hold the floor by speaking. The old way was truly only a delay (and therefore probably only effective before a recess), the new method of virtual filibuster seems to be a method to prevent legislation from being voted on. The expression I remember reading (which I love) is make Mitch McConnell wet his pants (from standing and talking for six hours or more). Now is the time to get that done. and I have no idea where the personal holds on either bills or nominations came from, but that could stand to be limited in time or scope, if not eliminated.
Personally I would have said that the secret holds, the virtual filibusters and the silly (but tragically real) power the minority is able to exert brings to mind the word "byzantine". But to each his or her own.
It would be nice if the Tea Party types would understand who they really should be mad at, the people who really are keeping the government from functioning. Unless a broken and damaged United States is what the Republicans and Tea Party people really want.
It may indeed be possible that anti-tax nitwit Grover Norquist may get his way -- the government may soon be squeezed enough that it is small enough to be "drowned in a bath tub."
However, I personally expect it much more likely that we'll just stumble along blindly for quite some time, and only after a decade or so will be be able to look back and realize it's; "Game over, man!"
Bunning never stated his opposition to the extension...as a matter off fact he stated the opposite...no one seems to get the heart of this spending bill and that is "pay as you go"...the OBAMA pledge.the blind march to financial oblivion will be much worse than no unemployment checks when that day arrives....the prolific spending of guys like Murtha,who has been canonized in death,and Charlie Rangel who reeks of corruption,epitomize the reasons we are on the edge finacial ruin...
Froth...nor did any of the Dems....you can keep your eyes closed to the financial malfeasance and corruption that is taking place all through Washington and Harrisburg....you can continue to parse everything thru partisan rose colored glasses....meanwhile those D's & R's in power are sucking the financial life out of this country.....
Hard stance to affect the politically despondent, but not yet certain which perspective will win the day: those who have lost their funding, those who have "lost" their faith in government, or those who have "lost" "their" party? I guess we'll see at the midterms...
I liked the move, and I wish Byrd would have done it back when we initially allocated funds for the Iraq war. But, he would never act in such a manner over budgets and now the R's are calling D's on that philosophy.
It seems as though the only means left to spur vigorous, broad and non-partisan patriotism, involuntarily, is by cutting government funding.
By all means Mark, tell us how to fix the recession and record unemployment. Oh, I know! Let's do what Bunning wanted to do and use the stimulus money that actually is creating jobs to instead cover unemployment for people who can't find jobs.
Rich, my point is that Republicans like Bunning only care about deficits when a Democrat sits in the White House. Let us not forget that Bunning voted against PAYGo.
Pardon my Français, but Bunning doesn't give a flying fuck about the deficit.
This is bullshit grandstanding, and EVERYONE knows it, Republican and Democrat alike.
His "principled stand" is nothing more or less than a publicity stunt, which he thinks (and his enablers in the GOP leadership think) will help the Party in the Fall. It's a marketing scam. Sleight of hand. A commercial for conservatives..... Period.
There is NOTHING of substance behind it. If Bunning, who's expertise at throwing a baseball certainly gave him an excellent background for "spinning" things, had actually wanted to "pay as he went," how exactly does he explain Iraq and Afghanistan?
Rich, Reagan never cared about deficits or debt. Bush one, to his credit did care. Clinton cared enough get surpluses (even if they were accounting fictions, it's more than Reagan or Bush two did). Clinton did sign legislation sent to him by a Republican Congress, including banking "reform" authored by that doctorate in economics from Texas, Phil Gramm. A few years later, the economy has a financial crisis second only to the great depression, caused by Republican inaction on the housing bubble, Republican encouragement of sub prime borrowing and bundling of mortgage backed securities, and the sheer incompetence of George W Bush.
Not only do Republicans only care about deficits when it suits them politically, they actively work to damage the country. Lincoln must be spinning in his grave, watching what the party he helped create is doing to the country thousands died to preserve.
14 comments:
Put Bunning's charade aside for a moment and try to imagine that in a democratically-elected form of government that ONE LUNATIC can stall something this important!
My point is; this isn't about Bunning, it's about both parties, who have so rigged the Congress that such twisted procedural behaviors are both eminently doable and acceptable.
"Secret holds" and filibusterless-filibusters and super-majority gags are the stuff of banana republics, not the United States. But day by day, we resemble them more and more....
I agree that now is the time to go back to the old procedures for filibusters, where the Senator actually has to hold the floor by speaking. The old way was truly only a delay (and therefore probably only effective before a recess), the new method of virtual filibuster seems to be a method to prevent legislation from being voted on. The expression I remember reading (which I love) is make Mitch McConnell wet his pants (from standing and talking for six hours or more). Now is the time to get that done. and I have no idea where the personal holds on either bills or nominations came from, but that could stand to be limited in time or scope, if not eliminated.
Personally I would have said that the secret holds, the virtual filibusters and the silly (but tragically real) power the minority is able to exert brings to mind the word "byzantine". But to each his or her own.
It would be nice if the Tea Party types would understand who they really should be mad at, the people who really are keeping the government from functioning. Unless a broken and damaged United States is what the Republicans and Tea Party people really want.
It may indeed be possible that anti-tax nitwit Grover Norquist may get his way -- the government may soon be squeezed enough that it is small enough to be "drowned in a bath tub."
However, I personally expect it much more likely that we'll just stumble along blindly for quite some time, and only after a decade or so will be be able to look back and realize it's; "Game over, man!"
Bunning never stated his opposition to the extension...as a matter off fact he stated the opposite...no one seems to get the heart of this spending bill and that is "pay as you go"...the OBAMA pledge.the blind march to financial oblivion will be much worse than no unemployment checks when that day arrives....the prolific spending of guys like Murtha,who has been canonized in death,and Charlie Rangel who reeks of corruption,epitomize the reasons we are on the edge finacial ruin...
Funny rich, that Bunning never worried about pay as you go and deficits when Bush was president.
Froth...nor did any of the Dems....you can keep your eyes closed to the financial malfeasance and corruption that is taking place all through Washington and Harrisburg....you can continue to parse everything thru partisan rose colored glasses....meanwhile those D's & R's in power are sucking the financial life out of this country.....
Hard stance to affect the politically despondent, but not yet certain which perspective will win the day: those who have lost their funding, those who have "lost" their faith in government, or those who have "lost" "their" party? I guess we'll see at the midterms...
I liked the move, and I wish Byrd would have done it back when we initially allocated funds for the Iraq war. But, he would never act in such a manner over budgets and now the R's are calling D's on that philosophy.
It seems as though the only means left to spur vigorous, broad and non-partisan patriotism, involuntarily, is by cutting government funding.
Extension after extension is bad governement.
Fix it.
You don't fix a leak in the roof with a new pot inside so as to catch the water.
Perhaps he is doing America a great service.
By all means Mark, tell us how to fix the recession and record unemployment. Oh, I know! Let's do what Bunning wanted to do and use the stimulus money that actually is creating jobs to instead cover unemployment for people who can't find jobs.
That's logical!
Rich, my point is that Republicans like Bunning only care about deficits when a Democrat sits in the White House. Let us not forget that Bunning voted against PAYGo.
Crazy logic O as there are no other Rs like Bunning at this juncture.
Pardon my Français, but Bunning doesn't give a flying fuck about the deficit.
This is bullshit grandstanding, and EVERYONE knows it, Republican and Democrat alike.
His "principled stand" is nothing more or less than a publicity stunt, which he thinks (and his enablers in the GOP leadership think) will help the Party in the Fall. It's a marketing scam. Sleight of hand. A commercial for conservatives..... Period.
There is NOTHING of substance behind it. If Bunning, who's expertise at throwing a baseball certainly gave him an excellent background for "spinning" things, had actually wanted to "pay as he went," how exactly does he explain Iraq and Afghanistan?
Froth, agreed deficit spending crosses the aisle....
Rich, Reagan never cared about deficits or debt. Bush one, to his credit did care. Clinton cared enough get surpluses (even if they were accounting fictions, it's more than Reagan or Bush two did). Clinton did sign legislation sent to him by a Republican Congress, including banking "reform" authored by that doctorate in economics from Texas, Phil Gramm. A few years later, the economy has a financial crisis second only to the great depression, caused by Republican inaction on the housing bubble, Republican encouragement of sub prime borrowing and bundling of mortgage backed securities, and the sheer incompetence of George W Bush.
Not only do Republicans only care about deficits when it suits them politically, they actively work to damage the country. Lincoln must be spinning in his grave, watching what the party he helped create is doing to the country thousands died to preserve.
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