Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Democratic lawmakers flip over the checkerboard

Here's David Karki with "Democratic Congress: A perverse pride in doing nothing"

"If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?"

"If Congress takes tons of votes but passes nothing, has it really voted?"

Congress under Democratic leadership has reduced our legislative branch to little more than a philosophical question, so little has it accomplished in a year. They have passed none of the budget bills the federal government needs to operate, and wasted much time with multiple Iraq withdrawal and S-CHIP bills that they know will get vetoed, just to create issues for the 2008 elections and to curry favor with their lunatic base. They are on a pace to write the fewest new laws in 35 years, since the height of Watergate when President Nixon and a Democratic Congress were bitterly at odds.
The country is operating on a string of continuing resolutions, which are just placeholders for the work of actually passing a budget. And as Roll Call reports (via Q&O), the vexed Democrats are prepared to scrap minority rights in the House:

Exasperated over Republicans' continued efforts - and occasional success - in thwarting the House floor schedule, Democratic leaders acknowledged Tuesday they are reviewing the chamber's rules to determine how to curb the minority's ability to put up roadblocks at critical moments in the legislative process.
As McQ notes, the "motion to recommit" is one of the only tools for the minority in the House of Representatives and has stood untouched since 1822. But just like freedom of speech, the rights for people of the wrong political persuasion are transitory and expendible, especially when you're fightin' for the people.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Due to GOP logjams, the Senate is on pace to shatter the previous high in cloture votes:

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/18218.html

The GOP has already blocked eight proposals aimed at changing U.S. policy in Iraq:

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-warvote20sep20,1,2752707.story?track=rss&ctrack=1&cset=true

The 109th Congress met for fewer days under GOP leadership (101) than any Congress in sixty years. Whereas the 110th has already had more roll call votes than any Congress ever, and will surpass 1,000. Unfortunately, one-sixth of those have been cloture votes.

Obviously, Karki's article is one big waaaaah. Whining about Democrats "creating issues to curry favor with their lunatic base" (quick, look, Terri Schiavo just blinked "thank you, Dr. Frist"!)? Failure to pass a budget (the 109th's last act was to pass a midnight stopgap before dumping its unfinished budget legislation onto Pelosi & Co.)? Provocative talk about rewriting the debate rules (we've got the nuclear option, it's in our hand, don't make us push the button!)?

Talk about changing the rules are just talk. The Dems don't have to. With 2008 looking to be a second Republican debacle in a row, things may change very fast without anyone overturning the system.

Anonymous said...

We finally have a congress that understands the five most important words in the U.S. Constitution:

"Congress shall pass no law..."

JorgXMcKie said...

Boy, I'm sure glad the Democrats didn't try any obstructionist tactics when they were in the minority. Otherwise all those on the Left whining about how the Republicans are acting would be seen as obvious roaring hypocrites.

And evidently the Democratic leadership is so upset that they're going to quit meeting so much next year.

JorgXMcKie said...

Boy, I'm sure glad the Democrats didn't try any obstructionist tactics when they were in the minority. Otherwise all those on the Left whining about how the Republicans are acting would be seen as obvious roaring hypocrites.

And evidently the Democratic leadership is so upset that they're going to quit meeting so much next year.

Anonymous said...

Yes, Dave, you smart and observant fellow. Doing it and then complaining about it is a thousand times more hypocritical than complaining about it and then doing it.

Hey, Dave, did you ever happen to notice the corrupt, treasonous way that the lungs of Democrats deliver oxygen efficiently to their circulatory systems? It's so much worse than the way Republican lungs sensibly deliver oxygen to THEIR circulatory systems.

Anonymous said...

Straining to justify your side again? Wow, that must be exhausting.

Eric said...

Anon (first one)

Hooray for roll call votes! From the article you allegedly read:

At the same time, the House has already set a record with 1,009 recorded votes this year. But only 107 of those have actually become law, with 58 involving such no-impact items as naming buildings and extensions of current law. Speaker Pelosi apparently thinks House members are to function like 435 hamsters on little wheels, running like mad and yet going absolutely nowhere.

And they met a lot of days, too.

JorgXMcKie said...

Nope Democrats don't suck, they blow. Anyway, the comment was about hypocrisy in general. Did I say the Republicans weren't hypocritical? They are, they're just not, on average as sanctimonious as Democrats and, especially, those who pride themselves on being Progressive are.

If most of the anons here would pull their cranial cavities from their anal sphincters long enough to look around themselves, they might notice that both Democrats and Republicans do stuff that many people don't like. (they'd also have to wait a bit to get their hearing back after the deafening report caused by the mass removal action.)

However, anons being anons, they simply can't admit that Democrats *ever* do anything wrong. Therefore, I'll continue to point out their blindingly obvious hypocrisy as I please.

So. Democrats make huge promises just before and after the 2006 elections which they promptly begin to break, and it's the Republicans fault. How original. How pathetic.

Anonymous said...

2.
Anyway, the comment was about hypocrisy in general. Did I say the Republicans weren't hypocritical? ...both Democrats and Republicans do stuff that many people don't like. ...However, anons being anons, they simply can't admit that Democrats *ever* do anything wrong

1.
Boy, I'm sure glad the DEMOCRATS didn't try any obstructionist tactics when THEY were in the minority. Otherwise ALL THOSE ON THE LEFT WHINING about how the Republicans are acting would be seen as obvious roaring hypocrites.

And evidently the DEMOCRATIC leadership is so upset that THEY'RE going to quit meeting so much next year.


Gosh, how could anyone have misinterpreted your neutral, non-partisan wisdom? You really nailed both sides on that one!

blindingly obvious hypocrisy

Sorry to hear about your blindness. But it explains everything.