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Subscribe to RSSBah-humbug. The parties are exchanging barbs over who the real Grinch is.
Republicans are saying Majority Leader Harry Reid is to blame for potentially keeping the Senate in session through Christmas.
Democrats are saying it's Republicans' fault, charging that senators like Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Jim DeMint (R-SC), have been operating from a playbook that could have been written by famed North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith: Delay, delay, delay.
"Christmas is a week from Saturday. I understand that. But I hope the Republicans understand it also. Because we are going to complete our work, no matter how long it takes in this Congress," said Reid at a Capitol Hill news conference today, NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports. "We have to do the work of the American people. We've been stalled and stalled and stalled this whole time. "
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) said, "It's completely and totally inappropriate to wrap all of this up into a 2,000-page bill and try to pass it the week before Christmas."
Reid: "I hate to report this to you, but there is still time after Christmas. So if Republicans think they can stall and stall and stall and if we take a break we're through. We're not through. Congress ends on Jan. 4th. So we're going to continue working on this stuff until we get it done."
Republicans penned a letter saying they would block any legislation until taxes and funding the government were resolved. The tax bill was passed today 81-19.
Kyl said he would do everything he could to stop the START nuclear treaty with Russia because of timing.
And DeMint had even wanted the entire omnibus and START treaty read into the record, something that could have taken 70 hours.
Kyl went so far as to claim Reid, a Mormon, was "disrespecting" Christmas.
"At some point you can no longer carry on the proposition that we're going to do this whole long list of things," Kyl said. "It is impossible to do all of the things that the majority leader laid out without doing -- frankly, without disrespecting the institution (meaning the Senate's need to move methodically on bills) and without disrespecting one of the two holiest of holidays for Christians and the families of all of the Senate, not just the senators themselves but all of the staff."
A testy Reid responded that it was "offensive" that Kyl said it was sacrilegious and disrespectful to stay in session during Christmas.
Ho, ho, ho.
*** UPDATE *** Reid's office released the following statement, hitting Kyl and DeMint for "sanctimonious lectures":
"As a Christian, no one has to remind me of the importance of Christmas for all Christian faiths and families across America.
"I do not need to hear the sanctimonious lectures of Senators Kyl and DeMint to remind me of what Christmas means.
"My question is where were their concerns about Christmas as they led filibusters on every major piece of legislation this Congress.
"Senate Republicans need look no further than themselves in casting blame for the predicament we are in right now.
"In this Congress, Republicans have waged 87 filibusters. They have used every trick in the book to delay legislation.
"In 15 minutes we are going to proceed to the START Treaty. Senator DeMint is going to make us read the entire treaty, in an effort to stall us from passing it.
"Then Senate Republicans are going to make us read the bill we need to pass in order to fund the government
"These are additional days of wasted time we could be using to pass legislation and get home for the holidays.
"Yet some of my Republican colleagues have the nerve to whine about having to stay and actually do the work the American people pay us for?
"Perhaps Senators Kyl and DeMint have been in Washington too long because in my state Nevadans employed in casinos and hotels have to work hard on holidays, including Christmas, to support their families.
"Most people don't get two weeks off yet alone one week off for Christmas. And those people who are lucky enough to have a job in these trying times need to work extra hours just to make ends meet.
"So it is deeply offensive to me and millions of working Americans across this country for any Senator to suggest that working through the Christmas holiday is somehow 'sacrilegious' or 'disrespectful.'
"The path to finishing this year lies in the hands of Senator Kyl, Senator DeMint and any other Senate Republican who are trying run out the clock or run out the door without finishing the American people's business.
"If they decide to work with us we can all have a happy holiday."
Leave a Comment:
First off First Read. American is spelled "American" and not "Americna" and yes I am correcting your spelling because you guys print first and think second.
Secondly, as I've said before, the media wants a war. The people want legislation that helps the people, so if they have to sleep in then so be it. But this whole narrative of "he said, he said" is outdated. Come on media, unite the people, don't divide them.
And lastly, whatever. Bah hum bug.
The media has been the cause of most of the acrimony that has been spreading across this country. We don't have to worry about the radical terrorists when we have the media that is hellbent on doing the same job as they are. The media helped to create the teabaggers, it spread the lies of the right and presented them as facts, it made palin a household name, and helped the repugs to disrespect the unemployed and the poor by presenting them as social parasites. I am more concerned about Fox and it's clones undermining our country's security than I am about any foreign threat.
You are clearly either a partisan, an idiot, or both.
Afraid of Fox more than terrorists.
I guess when you don't like the message , you post nonsense to get your point across.
Heck, Fox attacks the US every day. Why shouldn't they be feared more? Their very existence is an affront to everyone with a measurable IQ.
LET THE COLLAPSING BEGIN!
Anything that causes Reid consternation is good. As for those who attempt to lay the blame on the Fox news channel, they conveniently ignore the fact that this channel is but one voice in the wilderness as all the other channels (ABC,NBC,CBS,CNN,MSNBC,PBS, etc) incessantly spew nothing but progressive diatribe designed to appeal to only those with the most limited intellect.
The fact that more people elect to watch this one channel over all of the others is a testament to their intelligence and capacity for independent thought.
Ed Schultz has pointed out that, given the U.S. Senate's 81-19 vote in favor of extending all of the Bush tax cuts, President Obama has actually done a better job of selling them than President Bush originally did!
Wow...
fox has no message. there has not be one of their story that checks out in facts. or they take the fact and spin it the way they want.
dems have it right, if the GOP is going to hold up everything, then they are going to stay and work right up till xmas. reid is right, who gets two weeks off without doing their job. it is time we the people stop letting politician take this long break. if the people have to work long hours, they need to work long hours also. good job, way to fight, even though it is last minute. fight on for what is right
Terrorist: a person or coalition who lies and uses false beliefs to justify and intimidate a group with fear, lies, obstruction, distortion, and the real threat of harm [ by the other]to obtain their goals of fragmentation of the opposition and assumptive power for themselves!
Fox channel definition!
Histrionics
The truth is that this is NO different than things have always been done. It's just that NOW the process is front page news so more people are looking at it closely. Whining and crying in front of the cameras or press is a tactic employed to prove the point of one party or the other. The truth is BOTH parties have done this for AGES. The only difference is it is in print for one reason or another.
I came from the private sector to gov employ many years ago then retired. I was SHOCKED at how POORLY our elected people managed the business of the people. So while each party is taking a turn behind the screen while the others throw the caca in their direction, just remember is is the same pile of stuff, just a different shovel. If they wanted "it" to "work"they would find a reason to make it happen. They just want to "work it" so they get wall to wall coverage for their rant. Pass the tissues...
Boy what a stupid comment!
Well aren't the repubs/gopers/tpers in Congress something. And boy do they have a lot of nerves. THE REPBS/GOPERS/TPERS HAVE DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR THE PAST 2 YRS BUT BAND TOGETHER THICK AS THIEVES, AND HAVE STALLED AND OBSTRUCTED E-V-E-R-Y LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE, AND HAVE REFUSED TO DO ANY WORK - BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT IN POWER, AND THEY WANTED PRES. OBAMA TO FAIL - ALL WHILE THEY HAVE BEEN COLLECTING SALARIES AND BENEFITS FROM OUR TAX DOLLARS.
NOW.... they want to close up shop, because it's the holidays, and put off doing their jobs until AFTER the new Congress because they will have controll of the House - and will continue doing the same thing they've done for the past 2 yrs, which is NOTHING!!
I have to go to work every day, and don't get time off because it's Christmas. But they are "special", can pull the kind of BS that they've been pulling for the past 2 yrs... and STILL get to keep their jobs AND get paid. If I pulled some of the sh*t the repubs/gopers have pulled on my job, I would have been fired so long ago that it would not have been funny.
What a bunch of DYSFUNCTIONAL JACKASSES!!!
I find this absolutely amazing, that the progressives have had a majoriety, even a super majoriety, in both houses and complete control of the White House for nearly two years and still try to claim that their lack of progress is due to republican opposition! Completely ignored is the fact that pelosi has made NO attempts at appropations, much less a budget, chosing instead to work on the take over of private enterprise and the increasing of taxes! I nearly forgot to mention their attempts to grab hugh swaths of land, mostly out west!!
Now, with only weeks left, do they become mindful of their responsibilities. I, for one, want nothing substantive to come out of this lame duck!!
As for working over Christmas. Quit. Resign, Get the F--k Out. Term Limits!
Re: my post 1.4
It seems I struck a particularly sensitive nerve with the left wing nut jobs which is “the truth” and we all know the progressive element cannot abide the truth unless it’s their own brand of newspeak.
Just one more example of that bunch of zombies that are intolerant of anyone else’s point of view. It is really amusing when they so predictably react in such a manner. Lol.
For the record, I never vote to collapse other posts. I refuse to be the arbiter of which posts may be allowed and which of them should be censored so i'd delegate that authority to my "more enlightened" progressive friends.
Majority Leader Harry Reid is to blame for potentially keeping the Senate in session through Christmas! He's been doing far less important bills for years instead of doing the important bills first. Of course this is no accident, Dems did this to create a fake emergency so they could blame Repubs!
Repubs are so wimpy they can't stand up for what they believe because they can't deal with the Dems fake finger pointing.
It's all so disgustingly predictable!
It only took the Republicans 4 DAYS to pass legislation on Terry Shiavo. Who are they trying to kid with this insultingly stupid ploy?
honestly, i dont care if reid is disrespecting christians or not. and im a christian. im going to be working on the 24th, and if the 26th happened to be on a weekday i would be working as well.
i honestly dont give a damn about your religion. if you have work to do, you do it.
It's time for the republicans to learn some personal responsibility. The American people hired members of congress to get things done, not filibuster virtually every piece of legislation that comes up for a vote. If I didn't get my work done you better believe I'd be coming in over the holidays to finish it. That's the way the world works. Get your work done first -- THEN you can play. Vote against legislation if you oppose it -- that's fine. But filibustering everything isn't getting work done. It's a stalling tactic that (by their own admission) republicans are doing solely to make the democrat-controlled congress look ineffective. That's serving their own political needs, not the needs of the American people.
If you are going to put your own political careers ahead of the needs of the American people by filibustering everything to make the other party look bad, then you aren't doing your work. Just be glad you've got Pelosi and Reid and not me. If it were up to me, the first time you filibustered a crucial piece of legislation I would have made you bozos read names out of the phone book and pee in soda bottles for months on end if that's what it took to get an up or down vote.
Nearly all of the legislation before the Senate are bills that should have been done months ago.
They waited far too long to get down to the real business of congress. Can't blame anyone but the Leaders' poor planning for that problem.
Whatever! Christmas (or Holiday if you're paranoid about offending someone) has no bearing in Reid's wanting to contue through 1/03/11. It's what happens on the following day. The Republicans take over the House and replace some of the old guard (both parties) in the Senate.
@MGinRochester,
Well said! I would have given your post multiple votes if it were possible! I wish the Democratic Leadership in the Senate put Republican Senators on the spot every time they filibustered a bill. They might be more selective on which bills to filibuster.
I can't believe the Republicans in the Senate are filibustering the 911 Responder health care bill to help the heros who risked their lives and their health at the World Trade Center Towers in New York. How low can these Repubs get?
MG&md: Are you both operating under the misperception that Reid had the power to MAKE the Republicans actually stand and filibuster rather than employ the procedural filibuster-in-name-only?
Does the majority Leader in the Senate have this power?
Nice try, Reid.
Once again, epic fail.
This congress ends, another begins. Just be use DEFEATED members of your party want to stick their hands in the cookie jar one last time does not mean they have the right.
Pass the tax bill, pass a continuing resolution, and go drink some eggnog.
Congress doesn't end until January 4th. They could go home sooner if they allow votes to happen. Republicans only have themselves to blame. Fillibuster abuse has to end.
And I bet Reid and Pelosi will be trying to pass their socialist agenda right up until that point. Obama will need to be on hot-standby, at his desk in his jammies, until midnight January 4th to sign any bills Reid and Pelosi manage to pass.
The socialist agenda of tax cuts, funding the government, and passing an arms treaty? Do you ever have any to say that isn't stupid?
Oh Oh- I know a 'talking point':
"Epic Fail".
z'at neat, or what?? Betcha never saw THAT one on here before, huh posters??
Then it's a good thing the American voter set him up in the best house in town, isn't it?
Well the congress could be a little more sociable. Why not have an up or down vote? Republicans are always insisting on an up or down vote.
I have to agree with Reid about working on Christmas, but he left out our Armed Forces. I have two days off for Christmas this year. Saturday and Sunday.
Senators Kyl and DeMint, close down this corrupt Congress!!
Obama will probably be sitting there with a straw hat and a Hawaiian shirt on, still hoping to get a couple of days in paradise in. And he won't forget that Reid and Pelosi made him stick around.
It never cease to amaze me that the republicans on this blog can NEVER see the wrong in their party!!! They were all with the "tea-baggers" on the deficit and now that they want the mega tax cut for the rich and no way to pay for it and you still have the gall to say its Obama's fault????? WOW
What cracks me up is those damn republicans are wanting to actually READ a bill before they vote on it.
Can't they just be like Nancy, and pass legislation............then see whats in it?
Reid, you are PATHETIC
BOO freakin HOO!
Has Kyle & Demint caught whatever hormonal imbalance the Weeper of the House is suffering from?
Let them roll out the cots and have baloney sandwiches for Christmas dinner for all I care!
Thanks to the right wing Grinches... it will be a hell of a lot more than millions of everyday Americans will get thanks to the right wingers playing Russian Roulette with unemployment benefits!
They've had 8 months to read the START treaty, start to finish many times over. That's how long Kyl has been sitting on it. Every question he had was addressed and resolved but still....just can't bring himself to give up despite former Presidents, former Sec of States, former generals all telling him he's wrong.
Of all the nerve! The Republicans actually want the 2000 page $1.2 trillion dollar omnibus pork bill read on the Senate floor! Should take about 40 hours.
Harry, you got that penciled into your schedule yet? Think Obama will watch it from Oval Office on C-Span, while wearing his Hawaiian shirt?
And when the clerk is done reading the omnibus bill, we'll know at least someone bothered to look through it.
Filibuster, delay, read the bills, do whatever it takes to hold this travesty of a budget up until the lame ducks are gone.
Reid must be under some heavy pressure to get that earmarked money over to China
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40565987/ns/business-going_green/?fb_ref=story_header&fb_source=profile_multiline
He's a useless crook and I'll never trust a thing he says again.
Throw another lump of coal on the fire Mr. Scrooge, ehh Mr. Reid?
Jody
the Dems have the majority in the Senate. Harry sets the floor schedule. Had to be more then just Republicans holding up the vote.
JoAnna, do you actually follow what has been going on the last two years or do you just take Rush and Glenn at point value and run with it? Grow up and think for yourself.
Where was the spineless Reid back in August, Sept and October. Certainly wasnt willing to work the issues prior to the election. he new the outcome for the Dems would be even worse if they went on record with their votes.
Nothing much can be done until near Christmas because the only thing more important to the Republicans in the Senate than obstructing the workings of the Senate is missing out on vacation time. The same thing happened last years, too. The Democrats tried to get votes all year long, but the Republicans didn't relent until right before the holidays. Depriving Republicans of vaction is the only leverage Reid has over them.
Don't know about the rest of you folks but I have no faith in either party. None of them have acted as honorable people, just dishonest politicans. It is with them...do as I say, and I will do as I please. This country is in the state it is in because our elected have no control on their own spending...and the truly sad part to me is that we are paying these "politicans" to rob us all. We pay for their health care that is way much better than anything we could afford. They can and do draw full pay upon retirement...whether voted out or not...and are allowed to stay in office as long as they can continue to buy their way in. They vote their own pay raises with no reguard for not doing their jobs. And don't forget theses earmarks that on this next bill will total about 8 billion dollars....much of which benefits themselves.
Right on Senator Reid!
Call the Republicans on this. They stall all year long and then complain at the last minute that there is not enough time. Yet there is enough time to read a 2,000 page document out loud on the Senate floor ? What incredible hypocrisy!
The conservatives on this list are no better for supporting this nonsense. After complaining loud and long that nothing was getting done, criticizing the President and the Democrats for not only their policy but also for the manner in which they have presented it, they will still support this childish and blatant grandstanding by the Republicans.
Those of us out here who need this legislation are not happy.
if they all have to sleep there, they are going to do the work. they elected you to vote and do some work, not have two week vacation, after working for 2 days. right one reid, hold them there until they get everything done. the party of NO , the party of NO work want to leave town, so that they can spread their crap around town. if the president has to stay up in his jimmies, it is what you got elected to do. the house has 400 bills passed, the senate has a lot of work to do.
Hold on, hold on, wait a minute..."Can't we all just get along" as Feisty says "wink" "wink" if I wanted to compromise I would have voted Democrat...um umm ummmm
SaltGrass-
Thank you for your service!!!
Agaast & JoAnna -
Repubs. have no one to blame for actually having to work...thru til the 4th of Jan. if necessary! They have had the past year to "read" the Bill and vote on "anything"! They have not been working, or "representing" those that elected them to office and who pay their wages and lifetime health benefits! According to Senator Reid today, it will take approx. 70 hours to read the Bill on the floor. 70 more wasted hours of stalling by the Repubs! Big deal.......just 70 more hours they will miss spending with their families. TDB!!
They seriously thought the Dems - like them - would surely not agree to work right up to late Christmas Eve and return to work the day after!! Surprise McConnell and Boehner.......you fellas backed the Repubs into what you wrongly believed to be a "corner" - lol!
Where were their cries when it was just the unemployed and low income folks and their families that would suffer over the Christmas holidays??! They forgot "who" they are susposed to be representing - We The People of the USA. Their only concern is for their own inconvience!
The Dems and Indep - even a few Repubs - are willing to "work" and "represent" the People of this country straight thru til 01/04/11.
Perhaps the good Sen. Boehner will pleasure us with yet another Media Moment and cry and sob and plead for the People to speak out so he and his crew can be with their families for Christmas!!
BooooWhooooo!!
Edit: " thought they backed the Dems into a corner."
1Hiram
Jody
the Dems have the majority in the Senate. Harry sets the floor schedule. Had to be more then just Republicans holding up the vote.
===============
No, not really. Maybe you should look into the rights of each Senator. Majority means little to nothing in the Senate up until an actual vote happens. What is at play is the power each Senator holds getting to the point of having an actual vote. It only takes one.
the most dangerous thing in the US is FOX news channel if you can call it that and the Republican Party . these two org. are more dangerous to America than all the terriosts in the world. when you have got a person lik michele bachman who is trying to organize a plan to teach the constitution to members of congress which she don't even no it her self is a big laugh . her and Boehner quote the declaration of indenpendence and calls it the constitution leaves alot to be desired . but the worst part is she says it is bipartisan and then she goes and gets sean hannity to do the teaching has got to be the worst choice in the world. I would bet that Hannity don't no his ass from a hole in the ground . much less the constitution . LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
shrum,
What is truly dangerous is the lack of literacy and education that is so apparent in the posts I read every day. After a while, it becomes very tiresome to read such poorly written, barely comrehensible rants. It is certainly a stretch to believe that the writer could possibly know what they are talking about when they are barely able to articulate a cogent thought. It would certainly be nice if people learned the differences between "than" and "then"; "there", "their" and "they're"; or perhaps "no" and "know".
As regards the substance of your post, sweeping generalizations regarding Fox News, the Republican Party, and others, certainly weakens any argument you wish to make. Although it may make you sound "cool" to those who agree with your viewpoint, it is pointless because it can neither be proven or disproved - so it is nothing but an opinion designed to make you look good. And, since it does nothing to contribute to the actual dialog it is like background noise and simply ignored by most people.
A better approach would be to identify the specific problem you have with something that Fox reported and then explain why they are wrong. Of course, that would require you to actually watch a show, rather than just acting like a sheep and parroting what other people say.
So, is it your contention that it is better if members of Congress do not fully understand the constitution? Do you think it would be a bad thing if they learned more about it?
Why do you feel that Sean Hannity is a poor choice? Have you ever heard him teach or lecture? Or, is this a statement based solely on the fact that he is on Fox News? Or, is it based on his political point of view? If so, can you also share with us the political affiliation of the teachers at the school you most recently attended and how it affected their ability to teach?
Finally, do you honestly believe that a person that "don't no his ass from a hole in the ground" would be allowed to have a prime time show on a major network?
Hannity has a prime time gig on a PROPAGANDA outlet. He doesn't have to know anything more than he is told to parrot each day in his morning talking point memo from Ailes and Sammon.
Paul, I think what's particularly insidious is the way virtually all the talkers claim to be BOTH informative and entertaining. It provides an immense amount of room to weasel out of any lie in which they are caught. The claim it's satire, a joke, or just an interesting story. It's a deliberate attempt on behalf of the genre to destroy our ability to think about issues by making sure we can't tell fact from fiction.
It would be forgivable if they labled themselves FOX SATIRE or FOX OPINION.
The Republican/TP Inc. party has absolutely no one but themselves to blame. They stalled and filibustered (well, rule 22(?) fake filibustered) and delayed everything they possibly could and now they are complaining about having to stay and take care of business that could have been done months, and months ago. Crocodile tears are not becoming of a US Senator. The US Senate used to be a deliberative body but ever since the Republicans lost the majority, they have been poor losers. Saying, "No." to everything, especially the things that you have supported in the past, just because you are not the majority is not deliberative, it is childish.
The Republican/TP Inc. party is acting like the pouty schoolyard kid who ruins the fun for everyone just because he did to get his way or was not chosen first. The Republican/TP Inc. party needs to grow up and do the job they were sent to do, not act like belligerent children who are mad because no one is catering to their wants and desires.
FYI - As the DEMOCRATS have total control of this Congress, it is the DEMOCRATS who set the schedule for when things come up for a vote as in Reid and Pelosi. This does not change until the NEXT CONGRESS is sworn in - in January.
The TAXPAYERS have a right to know what is in the pork-laden legislation BEFORE it is passed as it is the TAXPAYERS who get to foot the bill.
Have you even considered that it is actually some of the Democrats that are holding up the votes because they don't like it any more than the republicans do?
We'd be screwed more if they would have played sheep and gone along with Nancy, Harry, and Barack. We would have national Obamacare, Crap and trade, Stimulus II and no telling what other Disastrous economic and social policies.
Tammy...you are right when you say that taxpayers have the right to know what is in the bill...my question to you...have you exercised that right? Instead of jabbering online...have you actually contacted your congressional representatives and asked to be informed? Probably not...just like most Americans...you want to sit back and complain, but have you actually exercised your rights in participating in your government? It takes more than casting a ballot on election day. When was the last time you called your congressman's office to ask a question or voice an opinion? Written a letter? Sent an email? Or heaven forbid actually travelled to Washington to see them?
Tammy wrote: "Have you even considered that it is actually some of the Democrats that are holding up the votes because they don't like it any more than the republicans do?"
I'd say 'nice try' but it wasn't even close to a nice try. This has got to be one of the most stupid things you have ever said in any of your posts and you have said quite a few very stupid things.
Ignoring the point that it is, and has been for the last 4 years, the Republican/TP Inc. party that has been, through the filibuster procedures and paliamentary delaying tactics, thwarting votes from even coming to the floor does not make it any less true nor does it remove the blame from them. The scheduling has had nothing to do with it but, as shown by the last sentence in your post, you are too stupid to understand that.
You really aren't very good at debate, Tammy. You just keep proving the point that it is better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt with every post you put up.
Thank you Matthew. The FAKE filibuster is coming back to haunt these a$$hat$. If someone demands that the bill be read, they should be required to be in attendance for every word of it. No breaks in the "reading", for the listener. Once the reading is begun there can be no interruptions and no cessation.
Matthew, just because you don't like the message doesn't make it wrong.
This Congress has a habit of passing the bills WITHOUT reading them. Perhaps if they would, trash wouldn't get thrown in with 'must have'.
Sean - Considering that the two 'independent' senators caucus with the democrats, I'll call you wrong there. The democrats had a supermajority in the Senate until Brown was elected to replace Kennedy.
Wrong Tammy. You're stretching reality to make a weak point at best. You don't think that a dead Ted Kennedy could vote for cloture do you?
Which part of what Tammy wrote did you not comprehend?
Tammy, like or dislike has nothing to do with it, when you are wrong, you are wrong. And you are wrong. Give it up, you do not have leg to stand on.
as for as who is holdeing up the work in the senate it is the GOP and the fillibuster . so don't blame it on harry . harry is a fine man and a good senator. no republican can match him in no way .
Matthew, exactly how many of these Tea Party Republicans were elected in 2008. I mean those are the people you are berating.
"MOMMMM, he's being MEAN to me!!!"
Exactamundo.
Now you two stop, or Mr Boehner will sit you both in a corner, and CRY at you!
Seeing that idiot blubbering on tv was one of the funniest things that I have seen in years. Then McConnell tried to get in on the act too!! Priceless. The reason Boehner was crying was because he was probably drunk and knows that he's doing the wrong things by this country. He doesn't go into elementary schools anymore because he knows that he's terrorizing those children with the policies that he and his party support. Massive cuts in education, no free lunches for needy children, laying off thousands of teachers yeah that's the track record of a man who cares about America's school children.
No emotions can mean "Brain Damage"
He cries because he knows he is going to hell for what he is doing to the youth of America. And he knows that he is going to suffer terribly. AMEN.
I am getting tired of seeing these crocidile tears in the house. if you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen
coal? me to i am game . they create a mess and blame it on someone else ,an lie about it then cry about it .
We ain't seen nuthin yet. Wait until we see what Republicans come up with for a budget. Guaranteed it won't budget AND it'll make a bunch of people mad. Can't wait.
At least it will be better than the "no budget" that the Democrats came up with.
Newsflash, champ...Republicans have been blocking work on a budget all year...along with everything else.
So John Boehner is an emotional man. It happens when one has 11 siblings, lived in near poverty during his youth, and is now going to be Speaker of the House, 3rd in line for the Presidency. It's a great American story. If you would rather have a vapid "Jack-in-the-Box" who lies even to herself then maybe you should go back to November 2nd and change the minds of the majority of the Americans who don't.
I'll gratefully take Speaker Boehner.
Boehner cries because he knows that he has sold his soul to the devil, for little more than half a million dollars per year.
It's creepy to watch John Boehner and Mitch McConnell, and them cry on the floor of Congress, and during press conferences. It's as if they ALREADY know that they've gained control of the House, and don't have any idea on how to solve any of the problems that were caused by the FAILED agendas and policies. Maybe they think that if they cry now, that we won't be so hard on them when they can solve any of the problems.
I think that the ENTIRE bunch of the repub/goper/tper phonies should have psychological exams, as all of that crying indicates signs of depression, nutness and psychosis.
I gotta tell ya that it creeps me out to see the top lawmakers in this country crying in public, and blubbering every time someone says "boo" to them. WTF??!!
** Correction ** Maybe the repubsgopers/tpers think that if they cry now, that we won't be so hard on them when they can't or won't solve any of the problems this country is facing, like they lied and told the people they could do to get control of the House.
Why don't we all send the GOP a stocking full of coal?
I'm game. Lol.
They won't accept the stocking full of coal unless you can prove no environmental protections were put in place when it was mined.
Or you bought it from one of their fat cat contributors
Poor Republicans have to work. It’s so unfair. Now, they get a taste of what the average American worker holiday schedule is like.
"I hate to report this to you, but there is still time after Christmas. So if Republicans think they can stall and stall and stall and if we take a break we're through. We're not through. Congress ends on Jan. 4th. So we're going to continue working on this stuff until we get it done."
Well done Mr. Reid: Keep those Retugs working they need to pay for what they have done over the last year!
No Santa for the Rethugs
Give them Hell Harry.
Good gosh this is funny.
Socialists are just so angry when they can no longer pass their big government spending bills anymore.
But Reid won't hold anyone hostage over the holidays. The leader of his party, one Barack H. Obama, has a vacation to get to, and that won't be held up by the likes of Mr. Reid trying to pass more bills without anyone reading them first.
The average age of the homeless is 9 years old. Damn 9 year old socialists with their entitlement attitude, always looking for a handout instead of earning their own way, they are ruining this country.
What the hell's wrong with'em, anyway Forrest? You'd think Jesus cared for 'em or some damned dumb nonsense.
Commies.
FG: You using unsubstantiated data to prove your point is not really helping your poor argument.
The NY Times disputes your rational, and so do I.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/25/to-be-young-like-9-on-average-and-homeless/
FG, of course you will sucker in some mental light-weights.
Big Government spending like creating new agencies, perscription drug benefits, starting 2 wars? Oh wait, that was Junior, sorry.
So Indy, you're saying Obama is a lot like Bush . . . .
So what ever happened to that "Hopey Changey" thing you guys were chanting a while back?
Joanna, I was attacking repubs, not defending dems. Are you actually going to defend your repub masters? Attacking dems is a tactic that only works with dems. Now please reply some sort of defense, regardless of how lame.
What Indy, you're tyring to say the Republicans have been hypocrites? Please, that bridge has been crossed many times.
New sheriff in town in January though Indy. Let's see if they got the message sent from the People on November 2nd. We know the Democrats didn't, lets see if any GOPers did.
Sarah, is that you?
Watsamattta, 'fraid to blog under yer own name? You betcha!
"Are there no workhouses? Are there no prisons? I am forced to support these institutions and would recommend the poor retire to one of them or DIE and decrease the surplus population. Christmas, Bah! Humbug!"
I know I've heard that somewhere before, was it Mitch McConnel or Boehner?
Oh yeah, and then they said, "Unless we get a tax break for the rich, rich, rich."
Of course we don't have the money to pay for it or any of it.
I guess Hypocrite is just another word for GOP, huh.
Read the bill, how about they read it on their own time rather than take up the time of the Senate?
Maybe they could get it downloaded to their ipad or something.
Here's a refreshing thought. READ THE BILL IN YOUR OFFICE, TO YOURSELF. huh? how about that?
I hope Reid keeps them there until after New Years Eve and send them home without their Christmas dinner. That'll learn 'em.
Hehe you responded twice before anyone else... just sayin!!
Come Joanna, admit it. Say it with me, "republicans love to spend money, republicans love to spend money." The first step to getting help is admitting there's a problem.
What is in dispute is the definition of homeless. Living in a shelter, or farmed out to other family members, does not count as homeless for some, it only counts if you are literally living in the street. More and more children are homeless everyday regardless how you want to define it. Don't be suckered in by them or me JS, they are just little liberal socialist always with their hands out wanting something for nothing. Only a mental lightweight would be suckered by homeless children during the Christmas season.
BAH! HUMBUG!
Let them die and decrease the surplus population!
They can't be Republicans, they are too poor to contribute to our re-election!
Actually, the extended family SHOULD be the first place to take care of the homeless. The thing is, welfare programs have destroyed this. When a family cannot qualify for AFDC when the father is living at home in a functional family unit, but can when and if he moves out, the program does more harm than good. Children need BOTH parents in their lives.
So, Forest, what should be done about it?
Spare me the notion that people are homeless because they have no money. I volunteer at a soup kitchen that caters to the homeless, and can tell you that they have just one of two problems: mental illness, (the minority), and, vastly, substance abuse problems.
Those who suffer from mental illness are the victims of liberals as much as their disease. You see, liberals got a court to decide that it was a violation their rights to have them committed to facilities where they could be cared for and given their medications on schedule- it was far better for those who lack the capacity to care for themselves to be thrown out onto the streets to fend for themselves.
The other group, the substance abusers, love their substances more than anything or anybody. That is the nature of addiction. Given that, why on earth should they have custody of children they cannot care for?
Liberals think it is cruel to remove children from the chaotic life of a substance abuser. Therefore, these children are subjected to constant upheaval, and the kind of drama no thinking adult would participate in willingly.Yet, somehow, to the liberal, this is far better than removing them from the custody of their parent-and I do mean single.
Got a clue how their education proceeds? How often they eat, and what? How much crime they witness, or are victimized by?
So, spare us all the crocodile tears, and come back with some relevant, thoughtful solutions. Stop telling us what you feel, and start doing some thinking.
"Liberals think it is cruel to remove children from the chaotic life of a substance abuser"
Where the hell do you get these generalizations, you? Why you spending time serving folks in a soup line, when so many MORE people could benefit from your wise and knowlegable understadning of the nations' ills? You need to run for public office, you.
Okay folks, Joanna Smith and her red neck minions have entered the room and the IQ has plummeted to perilously low levels. Look you Fox denizens, its time the dumba$$ republicans got called out for their stalling tactics because that's what it is. Pure and simple. You can spin it in any twisted, moronic, half-truth way you want and it comes back to the same thing: they don't like Obama. They don't like his wife. They don't like his kids. Hell, if they could get away with it they'd hate on Bo too except that the SPCA and Animal Rights groups would tear them apart. They'd rather he be given credit for nothing. These morons have had since April to review this treaty and now they whine about staying over the Christmas holiday to ratify it. Too bad. Suck it up. This is what stalling and delay by red necks, ignoramuses and Baggers gets you. I say keep them there through New Years as well. Given their performance this year they need not worry about celebrating Christmas anyway. Nothing but lumps of coal in those stockings!
What a woman that NJNB is!!! Let's all give her a GIANT pat on the back she's fishing for...
ATTA Girl there Grama Grinch!
There is NOTHING this woman in NOT an authority on!
Given her propensity for stretching the truth... I'm having difficulty believing this little whopper unless of course that soup kitchen has napkin rings! Then of course she'd feel right at home!
Speaking of substance abuse... how's the stash of your little blue pills holding up?
Drive By:
The extreme rightwingers love to generalize, especially when their generalizations are based on their prejudices rather than any facts.
Did you two NOT compare notes first?
Sean -
FYI - I AM a 'vet' as is my husband. I currently have a son serving in the military. I fly the American flag proudly and support our military by giving to the USO and helping to provide escort for our fallen servicemen when they come home for burial.
What have you done to SERVE this country other than tout your liberal propaganda (and that's not serving, thats just running your 'mouth')?
fielden -
Just because you assume that I know another poster, doesn't mean that I do. You know what they say when you assume...
Besides, we were actually speaking about two different things, ot couldn't you figure that out?
Sean-
Do you even understand what it means to be an American? Do you even understand what serving in the military entails? Considering your views, I can't help but wonder.
Sean:
In case you didn't know it. Servicemembers pay just as many taxes as you do and probably more.
Basically that is a lame answer to what the lady asked you.
Wasn't it Palin who started this socialists spin? Oh well the funny twit speaking her one liners to the other twits.
Sean:
Who the F are you? First of all you dont know shyt about me. I served and bled for jackazz's like you. I earned the right to call you a frikken azzwipe. You don't know how many taxes members have paid. There are millionaires in the military just like there are some in society. I own a biz and served so you really don't know shyt. It is little unappreciative tricks like you that I can't stand.
I'm through dealing with lightweights to which you are.
You know this time I’m with old give’em heck Harry on this one. After old Reagan crashed things the first time I worked ten years of Christmas shutdowns trying to catch back up. Might be nice to see these Yahoo’s have to see just a small part of what We the People have to do to keep body and soul together. Might make ‘em think a little before they come off all high and mighty about regular folks not wanting to work and such like.
Thinking about that deal maybe Harry ought to sweeten the pot for them like they used to for me. You are going to work and you don't have a choice in the matter but Work regulations are going to force us to pay you double time for it. Way some of 'em poor mouth they ought to jump right on that deal.
Good one, two IR.
The average age of the homeless is 9 years old, but nothing can happen until we lavish more wealth on the top 2%, Merry Christmas senators.
run Forrest, run
Forest you are on a roll. Run Forrest Run, Run Forrest Run.
These are classics.
Take a walk around a place like San Francisco or Key West or any major city. Tell me how many 9 year olds you see sleeping on the street! I've never seen any and I doubt that you will either. Give up with this BS statistic. By the way, extending tax cuts to everybody is not lavishing wealth on the rich, if it were it would also be lavishing wealth on the middle class. Not taking my money is not the same as giving me money. Why do you believe that those with money owe you anything? You problem is that your jealous because you don't have the brains or the drive to earn more than you do. I'll be that if you won the lottery for a million, you wouldn't be so enthused about the government taking half of it. I'll bet you wouldn't even go out and provide a home for one of your homeless nine year olds.
I'm with Realist - If I can't see them, they ain't there, so quit lying about government statistics I'm too lazy to check. And given the two tax bills that the Senate Dems couldn't even get the Republicans to debate (one to extend tax cuts to $250K and one to extend tax cuts to $1M), this was clearly about what was best for the majority of Americans, not just my friends. How dare you try to raise taxes from 36% to 39% on income over those amounts! There are too many sick poor homeless people for the upper 1% to contribute more to make this country better for everyone.
You show me all those 9 year old homeless and I will send them to the FEMA re-education camps I heard about.
Forrest
9 years old is the average age of a homeless person??????
Where are the PARENTS????
They're twenty years old and homeless, with a newborn.
Paul
They would have to both be 13 with a newborn child.....3x9=27
Can't be right............plus....have you seen the single parent rate for minorities? Half would be single parents.
Pat, Libtards won't due that. Coal is evil. Just ask John "Live Shot" Kerry Heinz and Ted "Killer" Kennedy when he was alive. Has Kerry-Heinz ponied up his sales tax on his yacht he docked in Rhode Island to avoid paying Assachusetts even though he lives in Boston and Nantucket? Probably not, Liberals do not pay taxes.
It's Massachusetts. Watch your language. You're not on a teabagger site.
We have given John Kerry hell up here, unlike GOP voters across the country towards their republican Senators.
Why don't you concentrate on what your friends in the Republican Party wanted before passing this bill? And now they want to get out of dodge before doing anything about START, DADT and the DREAM Act. They took care of their rich friends. And said tough to everybody else.
And all you can think about is Ted Kennedy and John Kerry?
Moron.
"You're not on a teabagger site."
Nope.
You're at First Read...where inhabitants have only recently come around to the idea of extending all of the Bush tax cuts.
Pretty much what you'd hear at a "teabagger site", though...
Soupy, your sales are down, go ask Black Fang and White Tooth. Hey, did you really tell all those kids on TV to take money out of their mother's purse and mail it to you? Maaaan. No wonder they kicked you off the air, and you came back as PeeWee Herman.
if liberals pay no taxes, then explain this to me:
http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2004/09/red_states_feed.html
It's probably too much to ask you to read more than a few syllables in the form of Tea Party talking points, so I'll paraphrase the article in a language you can understand:
Of all the states that receive MORE in federal dollars than they pay TO the federal government in taxes, 76% are red states. 17 of the top 20 "glutton" states are red states.
In contrast, of all the states that receive LESS in federal dollars than they pay to the federal government, 69% are blue states. 11 of the top 14 "giving" states are blue states.
tax and spend liberals? more like RESPONSIBLE ECONOMIC POLICY!!
EDUCATE YOURSELVES!!!
I pay all my taxes without attempting to look for loopholes. I never use my charitable donations for tax deductions. And yes, in some respects I am a liberal, although I lean toward conservative economic policies.
When the Republicans take over next month they'll end this deficit spending...yes they will when pigs fly.
If the tax cuts won't add to the deficit as claimed by the republicans then when will we see the cuts necessary to bring the budget into balance and at some point start paying down the debt? If they aren't propsing cuts of severla hundred billion a year then we will know they lied to us last fall about being serious about deficit reductions...when pigs fly
typical democrat thinking, pass OUR bills the way we want, dont read or change them or else you are obstructing. how about the fact that the bills are bad and should not be passed. thats the reason Harry. no rushing bills through any more, they are now going to be read and corrected, sorry, your fun time is over Mr. Reid.
mrwood3: What is this crap about not getting to read the bills. They have been ready for over 18 months, and more than available for anyone in congress to read. So if they weren't read, then it is their fault and no one but theirs.
Verno - just because the House passed these bills (some as early as Feb 2009) doesn't mean that the Senate Republicans have read them. They have been too busy fillibustering and requiring 60 votes to even debate every subject. If the Dems would just give them a little more time, maybe they will get some stuff done. But only after we raise taxes on the middle class and give the richie-rich a huge tax cut.
I hope that in 2 years, when the Repubs are in lame duck session, that someone will remind them about having all these bills "shoved" down their throats. Or will that double standard apply again? I've never seen the Demos abuse the filibuster like the right has during this past Congress, so maybe the right won't have to miss all their Christmas cocktail parties.
mrwood3 -
Again.......the Bill has been by ALL months ago! The Repubs wanted to put off the vote on the Bill that was scheduled in AUGUST. The Dems compromised and did. Twice more the Repubs begged to put off the vote - the Dems compromised and did.
Time is out!!!! Their "clerks" will read the Bill - IF the Repubs follow-thru on their most recent threat - and it is estimated to take approx. 70 hours. Fine........just more stalling!
This time they underestimated the public and the press and stood there and made fools of themselves by having to admit to adding as many, if not more pork to the Bill than the Dems have!! Watch the video of Senators Cronyn and Thune - "open mouth insert both feet" moment. Then watch the videos of McConnell, Boehner and Dyl trying to fill the massive hole they had dug themselves into!
They will either vote.....or spend the holidays with their buddies in congress - thru Jan. 4th!!
HO HO HO
Just because it has been read/issued months ago, does not a good bill make. Sometimes, the best way to progress is slowly - especially when it comes to passing legislation. For every law created, you lose a freedom - someone famous said that... look it up, if you want.
No, time doesn't make this a good bill. But, they've had months to read the bill, and propose changes to that same bill, and instead they wait until a week before Christmas to demand a reading of the entire bill into the Congressional Record. This is an obviously political ploy to stop progress in our nation. I for one, do not want to go back to the "good ol' days" of the first half of this past decade.
"The average age of the homeless is 9 years old, but nothing can happen until we lavish more wealth on the top 2%, Merry Christmas senators."
Well said.
The majority are single women with child......lets go after the POS dead beat dads. A little dose of personal resonsibility would help the situation. Also you have the fact that to MANY....another child means another check from the Government.
Harry Reid, "If they decide to work with us we can all have a Happy Holiday". In others words, do what we say or else we won't let you go home. Reid will just jump on Belegio's Corporate Jet anyway. Liberal scumbag professes to be a Christian and can't say Merry Christmas. So I will. Merry Christmas Liberal Scumbags.
'soupy55' - from your posts, an apt description of your brain.
sniff sniff
aw, poor soupy
People are making the Republicans work. sniff sniff Oh woe is me. Senator Reid is beating us up.
Your party must love you. Uneducated fool.
Why don't you call up Senator Reid. Tell him to stop being a meanie to your leaders.
Harry Reid's lil' punk azz can't bring pain upon anyone. He is lucky to even still be a Senator. This will all backfire next year. He hasn't done anything but make people more hardened in their ideology.
It is going to be real funny when they strike back a his butt. He knew damn well none of this crap was voted upon and he could have brought this up whether it is fillibustered or not months ago. He knows next year there will be even fewer Dems and some that are left may even flip. The ones that are there next year will be those same ones on the ballot in 2012 and they know if Obama is headed out, so are they. We'll see what str8 ticket voting gets them next time.
Midtex, still dimmest bulb in the sign.
YOU and those like you illustrate why the Progressives must continue to fight and why the GOP is going to have to work through the Christmas break.
Ignorance, they name is Midtex and the sad thing about it is you WALLOW in your ignorance. You're proud of it. I'll bet you even darken the doorstep of the local Baptist Church now and then and call yourself a Christian.
But your ideaology has got about as much in common with the teachings of the Rabbi from Nazareth as a Dung Beetle does with the Lincoln Memorial. See, I was able to compare you to a bug that eats excrement and I didn't have to use profanity. That's how you do it with style, midtex.
Happy Holidays poop-bug
First of all Skipnip:
I am very well educated. I can roll with the best of them, and I can also roll with the lowest. Bring it anyway you like.
You can take that Progressive fight..lol..lol did I put those 2 words together?.......and stick it in there nice and tight.
Now run along trick. That's how you do it to igorant MF's
IntheMiddle, TX Please explain to me how Reid could have brought up these bills when the filibuster stops even discussing them on the floor. Let alone voting on them. Please explain.
Everyone else has to work the days before and the days after Christmas....why shouldn't they????
Crap, I work in the private sector and I have to work Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, AND the day after Christmas. I didn't know I was entitled to all those days off. Should I tell my employer about this "Right" I have?
delherren -
Well stated! How about our military troops - imagine the reality of them working on all of our holidays?! Then there are the firefighters and law enforcement. What about those working in hospitals?! Don't forget the folks who work in "retail" - all stores don't close for holidays - or gas stations - or - or - or!!
Perhaps the Repubs have finally "stepped in it" just like Senators Cronyn and Thune did earlier today when they stood in front of the news media to give a statement against all the Dems earmarks!! It was their intention to slam the Dems for holding up the vote on the Bill and for adding all those nasty earmarks - but, they didn't count on the press having questions about all the earmarks BOTH of them had added to the same Bill!!
Seems like the more the Repubs open their mouths - there farther down their throats the cram their own feet!! This is NOT how McConnell and Boehner expected things to go prior to Jan. 5th!!!
My thoughts exactly!!
This lame-duck session of Congress is poised to crash and burn...or to simply fizzle-out ineffectually.
Once the House passes President Obama's extension of all the Bush tax cuts, I imagine his focus will quickly turn to the Obama family Christmas in Hawaii.
He'll have his holiday wish fulfilled...no need to stay and listen to the death-rattle of the Democrats' House majority, and the 111th Congress.
Happy New Year!
It's not Obama who wants ALL the Bush tax cuts; that's the Republican agenda. And why wouldn't he have a family Christmas in Hawaii, since his grandfather lives there?
Obama said last week he wouldn't leave until START was passed.
Your two cents-
No...
That's the agreement negotiated by President Obama and the GOP.
Why do you think House Democrats are acting like someone poked a stick into their ant-hole?
Republicans bought a larger deficit, and President Obama bought extending tax cuts for the wealthy.
Joint ownership.
Bipartisanship.
Lol.
He should have his Christmas in Kenya.
In just a couple of days you will no longer be able to call them the Bush tax cuts. It will be the Obama tax extension.
Ahhhh, the sound of Don's racism...
is never unexpected...
Janet, we say potato, you say potado.
mytwocents says: "And why wouldn't he have a family Christmas in Hawaii, since his grandfather lives there? Obama's maternal grandfather does not live in Hawaii. He passed away in 1992.
LD, then he could meet more of your family. I understand they have a lot of Chimps in Kenya.
Too bad you didn't inherit their intelligence and the prehensile toes. Or did you?
Actually, if he did spend Christmas in Kenya, he WOULD be spending the holiday with family as he has at least a half-brother who lives there. So what's racist about that Louis?
The way I see it, only those who try to play the 'race card', when they do not have a valid argument, are racist.
Everyone else has to work the days before and the days after Christmas......why shouldn't they?????
Isn't "Government Worker" an oxymoron?
JC - good one. Our military, police, fire departments, teachers clearly don't do anything. Go F yourself you un-patriotic A-Hole.
My son spent 3 of the last 5 Christmases in a war zone, either Iraq or Aghanistan, and he didn't even get time off on Christmas Day. This is his first Christmas with his family since 2005.
Why does Congress get a Christmas break? Are they 3rd graders who can't sit in their seats for more than a week at a time? The long breaks were allowed at one time because it took days for our representatives to return home when congress is in session. I think with a little planning these people can get home on Christmas Eve like so many other Americans. And then back in their seats on the 26th. We could even make them work half a day on Christmas Day and Eve. Who is in charge of this country, us or them?
JDills - your belligerence is certainly unnecessary. Just because something is an oxymoron (such as jumbo shrimp) doesn't mean that it doesn't exist - it just means that it is counter intuitive and doesn't seem to make much sense.
While I agree that the military, police and fire fighters work harder than most people, it doesn't make the statement any less appropriate - especially since we both know that "Government Worker" refers primarily to bureaucrats.
However, when it comes to teachers, I must say that I'm not certain exactly how to classify them. Do they work hard - maybe yes - maybe no, depending on where they are located perhaps. But, are they effective? From reading the posts on this board I seriously have to question whether many of them earn their pay, as it appears that few people can either spell or form a complete sentence, much less engage in any type of meaningful dialog, without resorting to profanity and personal attacks.
I think he was pointing out that "government worker" should not only apply to bureaucrats.
It's time to get all those fools out of Washington, they are like two year old's fighting over a toy. I'm sick of this I, ME or US train of thought, does anyone in Washington remember that it's WE the PEOPLE?
It's not "I, ME or US;" it's "ME, MYSELF AND I"
If all of this was so important to get passed this year, why didn't they get started on it earlier? Answer: They really thought that they were going to retain both Houses of Congress and could just take their time next year. If tax cut extensions were so important to the left, why didn't one single person introduce legislation (prior to 2010 - they had almost 10 years for most of the cuts) to make some permanent and others not? Answer: Again, they thought that they would retain total power and would be able to raise taxes on all without having to make the hard vote.
They're also pulling the same tricks they did when they crammed Obamacare down our throats: Christmas Eve, huge bill that they didn't have time to read full of pork, etc. Why is all this pork being allowed, from both sides, when the voters adamently demanded that the earmarks stop? Politicians were fired because of that and we're taking names and will remember and will do another round of firings. We demand the politicians work for us and stop spending our money on stupid earmarks! We're awake now, taking note of who's voting on what and the politicians will pay the price for their decisions.
Mary -
A good deal of the 'pork' is due to those who have been voted out or are retiring from Congress. According to an article yesterday, only 3 GOP Senators have added pork and they are leaving office. The rest of it is purely democrat pork.
Damn... I hate when I agree with the libs. Leaves a bad taste. But I think Harry has it right on this one. Suck it up Buttercup, most of America has to work right up until Christmas so you can, too. I have no objection to Republicans blocking anything brought up for a vote until the tax issue is settled and the omnibus bill is dealt with, those seem to be the 2 most important things in need of accomplishing ASAP (really, is START going to be any more or less effective if it's passed in 2 weeks than if it's passed today?) but I don't get the whole interfering with Christmas bit. Do planes stop flying out of DC the week before Christmas? I don't think so. Quit pouting and get to work. If you hadn't been such a spineless bunch of weasels (and I am speaking of ALL the critters, not just dems, not just republicans, all of 'em) you could have settled these issues months ago but no one wanted to touch the issues going into the election. Well, when you procrastinate, eventually it catches up to you.
Bravo Senator Reid.......it's about time someone called those fools out. the GOP.....they would be entertaining if they weren't so pathetic.
OMG, it's the end of the world. There is the 7th Sign of the Apocalypse. Suzy 200 agreeing with the "libs". It's the end dear friends and two years early. Damn and my house paid off in 2012.
scruples -
Reid is responsible for scheduling when things reach the floor of the Senate, not the republicans. The democrats had two years of nearly total control of both houses of Congress to deal with the tax issues and a full year to deal witht he budget issue. In fact the budget is way past due.
Tammy:
These things HAVE been scheduled before. Then they have been blocked. Or re-debated. Or stalled. And then scheduled again. And again. And again.
Please...
fielden -
Then why have almost all of Obama's appointees not been scheduled for debate (analysts have even admitted that most of the appointees would be acceptable to the republicans). While some things have been, most have not. The only reason I can think of is that Reid is afraid that there 'might' be objections. Sounds like cowardice to me.
And there are soldiers in foxholes, fighting fire fights and sleeping on anything they can lay their head upon when they have time to. Republicans calling working during Christmas sacrilegous, that has to be on the WOW o meter. I'll bet every soldier that is deployed wished they could go home during Christmas, no I'll state for a fact every soldier wants to be home for Christmas but there is work to be done and will not rest until the work is done! Now Republicans and any other politician get to work!
Yeh Terry that old Gunny or Top is a dang poor substitute for Santa Claus come Christmas morning ain’t he. That big white beard just don’t look the same in Desert Chips or Jungle Green
Haven’t seen you in a while. If you don’t make it back before Christmas hoping you and yours have a good one and a fine New Year.
Good thoughts Terry, always good to remember our men and women in harm's way. Too bad the GOP (who I might add put them there) couldn't join THEM for the holidays and share their workload.
Go Senator Reid, call them out. The GOP is a bunch of bah humbug whiners, they've held up legislation for months in the hopes of waiting out the clock. I suggest they bring their lunch, a blanket, a cot and get to work; we're paying them.
How out of touch, GOP legislators complaining they might have to work the week after Christmas. Well, join the ranks of millions of Americans, many of whom will work on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day and the only way they get the week after Christmas off is if they take vacation days.
My thought, if a lump of coal in their stocking isn't enough, I suggest docking their pay for every day they spent filibustering, blocking, obstructing and placing holds on people and bills just because they could. The GOP can't blame democrats, only themselves for failing to do the people's work in a fair and timely manner.
The Liberals have had the House, Senate, and Presidency for 2 years. They could have done all this without a single Republican vote. They wasted their time with Obammy Care and such foolishness. In Nov we said enough, in 2012 we will say it even louder.
"The Liberals have had the House, Senate, and Presidency for 2 years."
Shoot, don't you idiots get tired of saying the same stupid things over and over again? This is the last time and I swear, if I have to explain it to you again, you're going to bed without your supper. No pay close attention: The Republican/TP Inc. party has been blocking and delaying everything they could using the filibuster procedures and every possible parliamentary delaying tactic they possibly could. They never had a filibuster proof majority as there were never 60 Democrats in the Senate. Take into account the Blue Dogs and the situation is even more against having a filibuster proof majority.
Get it? Got it? I doubt it.
This doesn't change the raw numbers no matter how you spin it. It is Reids fault if his caucus is not tight and vote chaotic. He is not a strong leader and people in general see that.
All it takes is ONE Senator objecting to bringing the bill to the floor. That requires a cloture vote, which fails if 60 Senators do not agree to bring the bill (or a nomination) to the floor for debate. And once it reaches the floor, there must be a minimum of 30 hours of debate before the bill (or nomination) can be voted on.
Someone did the calculations, and based upon the 30-hour rule the Senate could stay in session 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and STILL not confirm every person who needs to be confirmed for a Executive post before the end of the President's term. And that's WITHOUT passing a single piece of legislation.
The abuse of the cloture rule in this last Congress was staggering. Cloture was invoked over procedural matters such as opening the Senate. In other cases nominations were held up for months on end (the record is somewhere around 400 days), then approved by unanimous consent.
*sigh*...Mathew, sometimes you just gotta pull a Palin, and just...................................................................................give up.
Midtex, I would not have thought it possible but your light is getting dimmer and dimmer in that sign. Soon we won't be able to see you "shine" at all. I'd shed a tear if I weren't so happy. No more poop bug comments. Yay!
Matthew, maybe if you would learn the facts of the situation and accept that the democrats are responsible for the messes that the taxpayers are going to have to pay for, unless the republicans can nullify them, for the past four years when they have had control of both houses of Congress we wouldn't have to keep repeating ourselves.
Spotts -
Reid was responsible for the schedule in the Senate. He is the one that would not allow the appointees to even be presented on the floor to try for cloture.
Tammy: And just how did those nasty Democrats spend all of that money without the Bush signature. Also, two unfunded wars, unfunded tax cuts, and unfunded Medicare part D. That was all the Dems right?? You have a very short memory.
Tammy - and if Senator Reid had brought them to the floor, and cloture failed, the Republicans would have accused him of wasting time.
In other words, he can't win with you. If he didn't schedule it, he's lazy. If he did and couldn't guarantee passage, he would be accused of taking up too much time.
I would rather kill the filibuster. 51 votes to move a bill to the floor. 51 to pass it. Majority rules everywhere else, so the Senate should be no different. If not, if someone wants to filibuster they need to talk until they drop. No more "pocket filibustering".
And Tammy says, "Huh? I don't get it."
That's right, ITM, it doesn't change the raw numbers and there were never 60 Democrats in the Senate for the last 6, let alone 2 years. And ITM says, "Huh? I don't get it."
AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH! Sorry Matthew, I'm no friend of the repubs but that lame 60 vote argument you dems use drives me batchit crazy! Yes, the rules mean they need 60 votes to pass stuff, BUT THEY ONLY EVER NEEDED 51 VOTES TO CHANGE THE RULES!
Matthew - It doesn't change the fact that the two independents caucus with the democrats, and as long as they do, they effectively had a supermajority until Scott Brown was elected.
You bring up a very good point, Indy Lib, but I believe that the only time they can bring up a rules change without a "supermajority" is the first day of the new session. Otherwise, while they only need 51 to pass a rules change, they must have 60 (66?) votes to bring it to the floor for a vote if it is not the first day of the session.
There was an excellent plan put forward where the number of votes required to invoke cloture declined as time and the number of votes taken went by. This gives the minority the ability to try and change minds but not to break the process, as the Republican/TP Inc. party has. There are several Senators who are talking to Mr. Reid about doing a rules change on the first day of the next Congress when they can actually vote on the rules without having to overcome a cloture vote. Let's hope they do it.
You watch. The Dems will find a way to BOTCH the opportunity to change the cloture/filibuster rules.
My guess is that two Democratic senators will be sick on the only day the rules can be changed. And then some traitor like Ben Nelson will vote against.
Even if I am right, they would disappoint us with some pathetic rule adjustment which would still allow the minority to gum up the works substantially.
At the very least, the new rules should take into account how many times the repugs abused the old rules and retain that same number of abuses be gradfathered into the Democrats rights under the new fake filibuster rules. Fair is fair. When the abuses are evened out, then the power should be lost.
Lame.
'Obama will need to be on hot-standby, at his desk in his jammies, until midnight January 4th..' I doubt it! Obama is more interested in being in his bathing suit on the beach in Honolulu with his entourage messing up the beach for the other vacationers that actually have to pay for their vacations. His vacations are his number one priority!
Mary-351467
"Mary was a little lamb, little lamb"
You really are an idiot. Our President just brought us back from the brink of financial ruin you brain-challenged moron. Did you know your President (you know, the one the Supreme Court elected), you know the idiot GW who almost ruined this country took over a year off for vacation? Well, you have to admit, the guy was "out to lunch" or "on vacation" most of the 8 years he bumbled around.
This President has had to deal with huge crises and has taken us through them and got no credit. Why don't you say something about the pathetic Republicans not putting our country's safety first (START Treaty) because they are whining about actually doing their jobs cutting into their vacation (it would be nice to get as much vacation as those morons, as well as the pay, the insurance, the pensions they get ---- livin' large on the American taxpayer).
CUT CONGRESS PAY IN HALF, NO HEALTH CARE, NO PENSIONS, BUT THEY CAN PAY INTO A 401K IF THEY LIKE.
Why is it that liberals have a tendency to stoop to ad hominem attacks when you tell them something that they don't agree with?
Linda, what 'huge crises'? The oil spill that it took him nearly 3 months to get involved with? He didn't consider it a crisis until he started looking bad in the polls for his inaction. Health care was not a crisis situation. Bailing out Wall Street and cheating retirees out of their savings so that the union pensions could be funded (GM & Chrysler) were not crises. Financial 'reform' was not a crisis.
The lack of jobs is an ongoing crisis for many families, but the progressive policies espoused by this administration up to this point, have hurt job creation instead of helping.
Tammy-311614
The bailout was started by Bush, but Obama has executed it so well that almost all the money has already been paid back to the government. And the financial reform was necessary to ensure that the Wall Street's wild gambling spree with other people's money, which caused the near collapse of the economy in 2008.
I don't know what you're blathering about "cheating" people out of their retirement, but Bush and his corporate constituency cheated everyone with a 401K or other retirement account out of a huge chunk of their savings. But thanks to Obama, what was stolen by Bush's cronies has mostly been restored. At least that's the case with me, and I'm sure it is even with many people such as you with a blind unreasoning hatred for the president.
Tammy, do you even know what ad hominem means? From reading your posts, I seriously doubt it.
Yes, I do. But maybe you need to look it up to increase your vocabulary. (See? You've even managed to get me to stoop to your level with the ad hominem attacks)
Never said I wasn't engaging in an ad hominem attack. The problem is that your arguments are so stupid and full of faulty logic and fallacious 'facts' that there is no point in engaging you on your arguments. You are too stupid for me to expect you to even understand a cogent argument that is based on facts and comes to a logical and valid conclusion.
Get 'em, Senator Reid! :)
Skeemjo, does your boss let your take from Christmas off to after the first??? Do you think Sarah Palin will make that law, I just might vote for her then!! How do your think this country would fare if we ALL got to take a full week off at the end of the year???