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Colorado Democrat Michael Bennet is apparently unhappy with the Democratic leadership's plan for the lame duck session.
Bennet, who was first appointed to the Senate and narrowly won election to hold that seat in November, was heard on an open microphone today while presiding during a vote.
Bennet's distinctive voice was picked up on a microphone that is typically off while votes are being recorded. On the C-SPAN feed, you can see someone react and signal to Bennet that the mic was hot.
Bennet was speaking to a colleague who appeared to be and sounded like Minnesota's Amy Klobuchar when Bennet said of this lame duck session, "It's all rigged. The whole conversation is rigged. The fact that we don't get to a discussion before the break about what we're going to do in the lame duck. It's just rigged."
When contacted for a comment on the hot mic, Bennet's staff responded, "Michael was telling the same truths on the Senate floor that he tells folks back home in Colorado."
Bennet aide Adam Bozzi added, "For almost two years, he has talked about needing to fix a broken Washington. We can't move forward on major issues facing our country because of a broken system that is rigged to prevent progress. We are now in the second week of this session and haven't begun debating Defense Authorization or tax cuts that will expire at the end of the year. Colorado and the rest of our country deserve better which is why he has proposed overhauling the way Washington works, including filibuster and lobbying reforms."
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I am always amazed by those that claim washington is broken. The Constitution states that each house of congress sets its own rules. So where is the commitment to actually change and abide by any rules. I am so tired of those that "whine" about the broken process yet offer nothing to actually attempt to change it or to call their colleagues on their failure to help fix things.
Bennet is an empty suit Senator who is at the end of his 2nd year in the Senate. He has no power and no one in the Dem party bothers listening to him. This is the most press he has ever gotten.
Senator Bennett hit the nail on the head.
Another "fake" issue raised by congress is ear marks.
Want to cut the federal budget? overhaul the US Postal Service, which is running an 8.5 billion dollar
deficit ! Never mind the few millions spent on ear marks !
I am a centerist republican in Colorado ( means I don't want government in my business - support pro-choice -smaller government). I did not vote for Mr. Bennet, however I would like to strongly congratulate him on his take on Washington. To assert that this was contrived and that he "knew" the mic was hot - and being used in some self serving manner - is an insult. I would also think that we - as Americans - need to find our pride again - and get the government off our backs- because it IS all rigged.
Of course it is rigged. It always has been. Unless you are in the Congressional leadership, or you kiss their butts enough so that they let your pet legislation get out of committee, all you can really do is give frilly speaches and vote on the leadership's bills. It is infuriating, and is the best evidence ever of the need for term limits. No more war chests, no more fiefdoms. You get your time on the stage, and then you are done.
We can't vote our way to a decent government that time has come and gone, the wealthy won't allow it, most peoples standard of living will continue to decline, and until the people reject the entire phony political system we have nothing will change, and the wealthy few that control everything will fight to prevent change, it's time for the people of this country to forget about Republican/Democrat and think about what's best for our country and it's people, steps need to be taken to right the wrong, and none of those steps involve any existing political party. To continue bickering amongst ourselves is exactly what our masters want, get past the farce and realize the truth, neither party represents the people, the facts are starring you right in the face people, quit ignoring them.
Three cheers for that guy. Seriously.
All of you quit whinging......most of you fall into one of two camps 1. you did not vote for Dem's in the last election or 2. did not vote at all. Now you want to cry about things staying the same. "it is a foolish man that keeps doing the same thing, expecting different results". You drank the Regan cool aide (13% interest rate on home loans, largest increase in taxes in history),....Got the antidote from Bill (Balanced budget, surplus) went right back to drinking the cool aid from the GOP with Bush..(two wars, housing bubble ,helluva deficit).....Obama comes along with another bail out (pardon the pon)(health care, financial reform, insurance reform.etc;etc;......) not even two years... and you all are back to drinking the cool aide and crying, now that it seems things might not work out. Quit whining and just remember who is on your side, and to vote the next time the election comes around.
Exactly who got us in the mess my Limited Liberals ?
Do you think the housing collapse was not the fault of Clinton and Barney Frank ?
Do you think that a single thing has changed on Wall Street since Obama took over ?
Wasn't Obama that bailed out the Wall STreet Banks and yet Goldman Sachs has more money in reserve than at anytime in history ?
Obama bailed out GM and Chrysler,, who promptly declared Bankruptcy andways,, so what was the point other than to engineer a Union Payoff ? Do you realize how badly Obama Screwed Guaranteed Creditors on GM Bonds who had invested for years,, to hand over that equity to the Unions ?
Do Liberals really have a brain ? Do you not realize how Obama has grown the government by massively creating the Tax Payer Debt.
This is so basic no wonder a Liberal doesn't understand it.
You talk about Bush tax cuts yet fail to note under Bush Treasury tax receipts set an all time record !
The lack of education by Liberals is revolting. They are all politically motivated yet they refuse to realize that over 30 Communist Organizations backed the Unions and NCAAP during the Washington DC event in October ?????? Where is the media,,,????? So LIberals favor Communism ?
Show me where Communism works ?
Show me a country that ever offered the Opportunity and Freedom that Free Markets provided in the USA ?
Show me where Communism works ?
Liberals,, 20% of the people,,, so sure they have the answers when they do not even understand the Democrats want Communism.
What a joke !
Keep watching Glenn Beck. He's as nuts as you are.
Good post Allen,
I recently retired from a local government job. We were represented by the SEIU. One day I had a question and went to the union hall. This was during the start of the Presidential campaign for 2008. On the wall in the union hall were huge posters for Obama and Biden. So I asked,: "Where are the McCain and Palin posters??" They seemed to think that was pretty funny. I informed them that they need to take a vote of the dues payers like myself and ask us who's poster we want in "our" union hall. Again more laughter. Thias is the knee jerk, liberal response to a simple question. They just sicken me.
What was your question? And did they answer it?
It's all rigged! Ya think?
s
I have to say this, I can't believe it...a politican, who said something he believes is true, then is confronted with negativity towards his comment, stands his ground and does not attempt to distort the truth. Amazing! He should be president in 2016, after President Obama's second term.
Proud Democrat, You were just starting to sound credible, then you blew it with the thing about Obama serving a second term. Do you honestly think that after after the people just ate a large serving of sh!t that they are going back for seconds??? LOL
The lame duck session is one of the best times to get things done. This is because outgoing legislators no longer have to fear their own party if they do not vote along the party line.
It is also why retiring legislators are more willing to compromise.
Democratic incompetence or Republican stupidity is the choice we the people have.
Why can't the Democrats, now in the lame duck session, use their remaining majorities in the house and senate to pass 5% tax cuts for everyone under $500,000 and something like a 15% increase for all above, using RECONCILIATION , just as the Republicans did to pass the Bush tax cuts?
For those of you who are politically challenged, or have had a head injury, here is what is going to happen for the next two years:
The congress will mickey-mouse around with a few non-issues to run out the clock. Spend as much time on debate as possible so not much gets passed either way. Then when Republicans take their newly won seats in congress, Obama's agenda will be effectively held in check for the next two years. Sure, some essential items will get passed, and jobs will be priority #1. The really big socialist/communist items on Obama's agenda will never stand a chance and spending will be sharply curtailed. Obama will be defeated in 2012 and the new Republican, American-friendly government will take over. The agenda of the new Republican American-friendly government will be: "America First" in all things. There will be no apologizing to tin pot dictators or third world countries. No more embarrasing diplomatic ineptitude. This is reality. This is our future and those who don't see it are just in denial.
YELLOWcake from NIGER, please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The RE-peat-the-lie-to-the-PUBLIC-ans will try to stall everything in the lame duck. Then they will dither around for as much of the next to years as Obama will tolerate, and then he will drop his "unitary executive" powers on their traitorous heads. The war with IRAN will begin in October of 2012. Obama will win a second term by a landslide.