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Subscribe to RSSAfter 40 years in Congress, Democratic Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa has announced he will not seek re-election in 2014. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports.
U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin said Saturday he will not seek a sixth term in 2014, a decision that frees a new generation of Iowa Democrats to seek higher office and eases some of the burden Republicans face in retaking the Senate.
Harkin, chairman of an influential Senate committee, announced his decision during an interview with The Associated Press, and said the move could surprise some.
But the 73-year-old cited his age — he would be 81 at the end of a sixth term — as a factor in the decision, saying it was time to pass the torch he has held for nearly 30 years.
"I just think it's time for me to step aside," Harkin told the AP.
Harkin, first elected in 1984, ranks 7th in seniority, and 4th among majority Democrats. He is chairman of the health, education, labor and pensions committee, and chairman of the largest appropriations subcommittee.
He has long aligned with the Senate's more liberal members, and his signature legislative accomplishment is the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. He also served as a key salesman of President Barack Obama's 2010 health care bill to the wary left.
With the retirements of Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Georgia, the Senate becomes increasingly "fresh," says CNBC's John Harwood, and eager to shake things up.
"I'm not saying that giving this up and walking away is easy. It's very tough," Harkin said at his rural Iowa home south of Des Moines. "But I'm not quitting today. I'm not passing the torch sitting down."
Harkin's news defied outward signals. He has $2.7 million in his campaign war chest, second most among members nearing the end of their terms, and was planning a gala fundraiser in Washington, D.C., next month featuring pop star Lady Gaga.
The news creates a rare open Senate seat Iowa. Harkin, Iowa's junior senator, is outranked by Sen. Charles Grassley, who has held the state's other seat since 1980.
Attention will turn immediately to U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, a fourth-term Democrat from Waterloo. Braley, who was traveling in Iowa Saturday, did not immediately respond to e-mail and telephone requests to his staff by the AP.
Harkin held open the possibility of endorsing a Democrat before the party's primary if the candidate fit the profile of "someone who is progressive, who is a pragmatic progressive."
Although no Republicans have stepped forward, Harkin's news gives the GOP's private huddles new life.
"There are lots of conversations, but it's very early still," said Nick Ryan, an Iowa Republican campaign fundraiser.
U.S. Rep. Tom Latham of Clive is a seasoned Republican congressman, a veteran appropriations committee member and a robust fundraiser who has survived challenges to win 10 consecutive terms. Aides to Latham declined to comment beyond issuing a statement saying the congressman "respects Sen. Harkin's decision (and) looks forward to continuing to work with him."
But with opening a door in Iowa, Harkin has created a potential headache for his party nationally.
Democrats likely would have had the edge in 2014 with the seat, considering Harkin's fundraising prowess and healthy approval. A poll by the Des Moines Register taken last fall showed a majority of Iowans approved of his job performance.
Democrats hold a 55-45 advantage in the Senate, requiring Republicans to gain six seats to win back the chamber. But Democrats have more seats to defend in 2014_20 compared to only 13 for Republicans.
And the president's party historically loses seats in the midterm elections after his re-election. Obama, a Democrat, was re-elected last year.
Democrats will be scrambling to hold onto the seat in GOP-leaning West Virginia, where five-term Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller recently announced he would not seek re-election. Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito is running for the Senate seat.
Democratic incumbents also face tough re-election races in Arkansas, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina and Alaska — all states carried by Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in November's presidential election.
Since the election, Harkin has stepped up his role as one of the Senate's leading liberal populists.
He was a vocal opponent late last year of President Barack Obama's concession to lift the income threshold for higher taxes to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. Harkin instead supported raising taxes on all earners making more than $250,000 a year.
He also endorsed Obama's call for banning assault rifles and larger ammunition magazines in the wake of the Connecticut school shooting last month
Despite Harkin's strong political position, he has faced questions about his and his wife Ruth's role in developing a namesake policy institute at Iowa State University, Harkin's alma mater.
The Harkins and their supporters have been pushing for the institute to house papers highlighting his signature achievements, including the ADA and shaping farm policy as the former chairman of the agriculture committee.
In one long-running dispute, they've pressed ISU's president to rescind rules restricting the institute's ability to research agriculture, which Harkin derided as a violation of academic freedom. And Harkin has evaded questions about his role in fundraising for the institute after disclosure reports showed some of its largest donors are firms that have benefited from his policies.
Harkin dismissed that those questions had any bearing on his decision.
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Tom has been an institution ... for ages.
Tom will be missed.
Best of Luck on the retirement. At least someone knows when to pass the torch.
McCain should take the hint and follow suit.
GOP couldn't win an election for dog-catcher without gerrymandering.
tony - isn't it the truth. He has LONG overstayed his welcome!
That's for damn sure, seeking. I think the only way that old codger is leaving the Senate is in a coffin.
Senator Tom Harkin has been a voice for progressive ideas for 40 years.
He has served Iowa and this country well.
I know he will enjoy his retirement.
Time to "Clean the Career Politicians (regardless of party affiliation) out of the Swamp":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_members_of_the_United_States_Congress_by_longevity_of_service
We Progressives often make the mistake of thinking the mid-terms are not that important - but I hope we have all learned the lesson of 2010!
This article suggests that it is a forgone conclusion that we will lose seats in 2014 . . . let's all work hard to change history . . . again!
:-)
This has got to have angry Lindsey Graham peeing his pants in angry excitement, leaving a race open for the 'angry white man' party to pick up a seat (albeit, a soppy one).
Senator Harkin, I salute you for your many years of honorable service on Capital Hill.
He will be barking from the other side. His sour soul will never find rest since that day that he lost to Barack Obama.
Your comment suggests that you believe that the newly-elected Tea Party Republican members of Congress serve the national interest better than people like Senator Harkin. If you do believe that you are delusional.
so another old pale and stale male is throwing in the towel. about time
I wonder if Reid's lack of filibuster reform made him decide he has had enough of Reid's lack of cajones.
Ido - Right you are. Clean house and get some fresh ethics, ideas and work done. It's high time the pols start fearing the voters.
Best of everything to Sen Harkin, a strong supporter of progressives.
One more thing: Looking at some of the usual/unusual posters from the right wing....guess that they didn't get the message: STOP BEING THE STUPID PARTY!
That's really funny, the stupid leaders of the stupid....telling the stupid to stop being stupid.
Hopefully Harry Reid follows suit. It is time for the Dem Senate obstructionists to move on. Harkin has been ineffective in governing but I wih him luck in his long overdue retirement.
I know I as a Union member will miss Harkin. He championed EFCA, but still, couldn't pass it beyond GOP obstruction.
I wish the Democrats could pass major legislation like the repubs do.
One of the good guys who has run the marathon and is now at his end. I'll miss him and his leadership.
Have you noticed:
Obama's policies have worked. Democrats' policies have cleaned up GOP mess and have always brought prosperity.
These are the words of a willfully ignorant partisan. The GOP Senators have not just set .... they have demolished the record for filibusters during the past four years in a futile attempt to realize their impotent leader Mitch McConnell's pledge to make Barack Obama a one-term President.
The Senate Democrats are not obstructionists and have never been obstructionists to anywhere near the degree to which the current Republicans have clogged up the legislative works in Washington.
I think it is extremely ironic and very sad that someone with either a severe lack of knowledge on this subject or a complete willingness to lie uses a screen name that contains the word "truth."
YES!!! About time we place term limits on Congress too.
Hey, LynyrdSky
A very good idea. But the Supreme Court has struck down previous such efforts, unfortunately.
Senator Harkin.....He simply asked himself, are we better off since I “picked up the torch” all those years ago? The answer is, unfortunately, NO!. So why stay?
That is the criteria all politicians should be using when deciding to stay or to go!
wtw of KC - Harkin is not responsible for the treasonous activities of the far right. Harkin is one of the good guys. McCain, McConnell, Bachmann - all should go!
SeekingSanity..
Treasonous activities, c’mon!? Wanting to improve and deliver a better world for our children is now considered treasonous? Just think what the escalating debt will do for the country and the well being of us all. Our next 2-3 generations will be worse off as a result. That's what I call betraying our country!
Pigotry
I had a discussion about that with a CPA this morning. That DOW is being fueled by QE and the continuous supply 401K money. An adjustment is due somewhere between April and July. There is also a rather large sum of money being held in Bonds which are underperforming. The thought is that after the correction that this money may jump into the market causing a larger boost.
The concern is that income tax and capital gains tax increases will begin to be felt about that time, which may stall or stop new investment.
Translation: we are sitting on a powder keg that no one really knows which way it will blow.
As a born and raised iowan for 25 years... Thank you Senator Harkin for your service to this country and for Iowa.
Sen. Harkin's senate career does harken back to 1984, sometime in the last millennium?
Very seasoned!!
Happy Retirement !!!!!!!!!
DB Akron (#1.28):
I do share your concern. In economic policy, QE3 included, it's hard to be 'just about right,' you either overdo, or under-perform ... just like a pendulum, to the right, to the left, only briefly going through the middle (perfect) point.
The priority now seems to be to flush the economy with credit; but what's next? your concern has been raised by some economists already - the next bubble to burst....when? where?
We do need to pay attention, for sure.
any of these dinosaurs hitting the bricks is good news for america
DBAkron
I disagree with your economic analysis.
If the 401K money is indeed fueling the stock market, and it probably is, that money is protected from all taxes until withdrawn, usually when the investor retires so the increases in tax rates and capital gains have no effect on current investment decisions Capital gains tax only applies when stock is sold, not when it is bought. Very high income people (+$400,000) have slightly less money available to invest, but it is really a very small amount compared to the size of the total national investment funds.
Rather than QE, it is far more likely that the healthy stock market actually reflects the record profits of corporate America. Unemployment is likely to drop once Republicans quit threatening to screw up the economy by driving us over a fiscal cliff through refusing to pay the country's bills, and if that happens the economy should continue a moderate recovery for an extended period of time
Bond funds probably will be transferred to the stock market because those funds will crash when interest rates begin to rise, as is usually the case when unemployment drops. Now is probably the time to get out of bond funds .... later could be very expensive to the investor.
Any problems with our economy in the near term will probably happen for one of two reasons, either a downturn in the global economy or something stupid by the Congressional Republicans like forcing massive budget cuts or driving us off of a fiscal cliff by failing to cooperate on spending ceiling limits.
Don,
When Harry Reid actually allows discussion on a budget, then come talk to me. Our economy is the biggest issue of our time and Harry Reid will not even allow a budget to come to the floor for debate. Unbelievable. If you have an answer for why he has not allowed a budget debate to come the floor in four years, then I am all ears. It is the height of selfishness and irresponsibility.
The real answer is that he is an obstructionist. That dude is a bad person out and out. While America clamors for a budget he is literally living in the Ritz Carlton. Talk about hypocritical....and you support this guy??????
Yet another low information voter falling for the snake oil.....geez.
Yeah! That liberal POS will finally be gone...maybe now we in Iowa can see some progress. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your wa out harkin :)
The government doesn't have a lot of playing room, if they zero out the expenditures, it will still be a negative balance. Interest and lack of revenue is killing us, it doesn't matter what the Dow does, so long as the GDP remains stagnant, thus keeping revenue down, and we keep spending, increasing interest on the national debt, we have a problem. It's simple economics, and it will be painful.
"Translation: we are sitting on a powder keg that no one really knows which way it will blow."
The sky is falling!! the sky is falling!!! I'm 66 years old and I've been listening to that for as long as I can remember. Corporate profits are good. The housing sector is coming back. The economy is growing. You republicans just can't stand the fact that the DOW has more than doubled since President Obama took office after George W. Bush and his Republican congress crashed the economy.
I said it before and here it is again.....Rats keep jumping ship like it's on fire.
Hey did anyone else get the "new" RNC code book and decoder ring yet?
Charlie,
I love that the Dow has made a big run since it's low since Barack took office--I've made a medium sized fortune. It is not the Doow I am worried about. Let's face it: publicly traded companies are going to "make their number", period. Hence the problem. In order to make their number in the face of a woeful economy which is in large part due to Obama's policies, these company's choose to not hire. As a result, the unemployment rate is still mired in the low eight percentage range which if flat out horrible.
In addition to the Dow more than doubling, the national debt has also increased 60% (approx $6 trillion) under Obama's watch. I am not sure why you did not mention this in your low information response, but it is the debt and unemployment that are the problem. Not the Dow which in large part is driven by institutional investors and speculators. And BTW, Bush has been out of office for many years. This is Obama's watch now and has been for the last four years. I know you are 66, but clearly you still need to grow up.
And one last thing. You did not answer the question why Harry Reid has not brought a budget forth for debate. Can you please explain that to me? Maybe I am missing something here, but four years without consideration for a budget from the Democratica controlled Senate. Obstruction at its best.
Truth,
Don't use the term "low-information voter" to refer to a Democrat ever again. Democrats are not the ones opposed to scientific consensus on everything from climate change to evolution. Democrats are not the ones whose statistical models failed them in predicting the results of the past election. Democrats are not the ones who are against people going to college because colleges turn people into liberals. Democrats are not the ones who go around saying the Stimulus didn't work when, in fact, most economists and most studies say the contrary. Democrats are not the ones who dismiss top-ranked education as being just "elitist." Democrats are not the ones who go around saying that tax cuts can help raise revenue by broadening tax base when, in fact, all empirical evidence shows the contrary and no serious economist would ever agree with that. Democrats are not the ones who think Saddam had something to do with 9/11. Democrats are not the ones who say that the female body has ways to shut down the process of conception in the event of rape. Democrats are not the ones who believe that Obama was born in Kenya. Democrats are not the ones who asked the Library of Congress to take a nonpartisan tax report out of circulation because its findings refuted longstanding GOP "wisdom." No.
Democrats are the ones who prefer schools over warships, textbooks over Bibles, numbers over rhetoric, economists over political strategists, Paul Krugman over Glenn Beck, Elizabeth Warren over Michele Bachmann. You don't get to paint the Democratic Party as the "low-information" party just because Rush Limbaugh says so. A lot of stuff comes out of Rush Limbaugh's proverbial piehole every day, reason never being among it. He can call the Obama Administration the "Regime" as often as he wants, that doesn't change the fact that he hasn't done a single thing to obstruct democracy (like, oh, I don't know, gerrymandering or voter obstruction, GOP hobbies). He can call the Democratic Party (or "Democrat" Party, as he calls it, because he's such a scholar he can bend grammar rules at his will) the "low-information" party, that doesn't change the fact that post-graduates and PhDs overwhelmingly side with it.
As to Reid's being an "obstructionist," remember two things, please: the American public has solidly sided with Democrats on most budget matters and Democrats won more votes than Republicans last year not just for the presidential election, but also for the Senate elections and the House elections. Democrats have the mandate, so, technically, if the two parties can't come to an agreement, it's the Republicans obstructing Democrats and their mandate. Perhaps he hasn't passed a budget because the Republican House is utterly unwilling to yield to Democratic demands and won't submit anything to him that isn't a sad joke? Even without a budget, year-to-year deficits are on a solid downward trend, which would have surely been drastically disrupted by Romney's plans to increase defense spending while cutting revenues.
Also, you ought to know that presidents have even less influence on jobs than they do on stock returns. Presidents are not gods and their command over our economy is something people tend to overestimate greatly. If unemployment is still high, it's hardly Obama's fault. You do acknowledge, however, that he inherited an economy bleeding out 700,000 jobs a month, right? Or is that something you can't see?
And as for the debt, yeah, I don't know if you've heard, but there was this little thing called the Great Recession, which was the biggest economic downturn in 80 years. Obama didn't cause that one. I know you Republicans hate it when we Democrats say anything that isn't "yup, it was Obama's fault," but you cannot make a serious case that Obama is to be blamed for the debt. In fact, spending as a percentage of GDP has grown less in the past three years than during any other presidency since Eisenhower. Also, I take it you're not aware that non-defense discretionary spending isn't even that big a fraction of spending.
"In addition to the Dow more than doubling, the national debt has also increased 60% (approx $6 trillion) under Obama's watch."
But that IS NOT because of President Obama. The reality is under President Obama we have seen a smallest increase new federal spending (adjusted for inflation) since Eisenhower. This deficit is a result of programs and spending that were on the books LONG BEFORE President Obama took office as well as a decrease in revenue caused by the Bush tax Cuts and the Bush depression. Republicans realized the massive deficits were coming in the out years when they passed the Bush tax cuts. That's why the were set to expire in 2010.
Yes --- we have to get the deficit in line. President Obama offered the Republicans 4 trillion in tax spending cuts but they walked away from the deal because of their pledge to Norquits.
"You did not answer the question why Harry Reid has not brought a budget forth for debate."
Give me a break. Budgets begin in the House and the House has passed a budget only in theory. The Ryan budget passed by the house stood no chance in the Senate, even Republicans knew that and even Republicans in the Senate backed away form it . Passing a budget you know is going nowhere is NOT PASSING A BUDGET, it's a POLITICAL grand-standing play.
Thank You AndresTm, you covered that well, with honesty and fairness. Republicans harm themselves more than the president or democrats with their ridiculous labels and accusations, as evidenced by the last election. People like Rush are in the entertainment industry, yes the industry republicans love to hate, he is no different than Howard Stern, except democrats are smart enough not to let someone like Stern represent them as the political mouthpiece of their party. The republicans who tolerate and never confront or refute the ridiculous factions within their party such as the birthers and all other manner of goofy conspiracy groups are depending on less than low information voters, they are depending on false information voters. They bought into the entertainment industry of Rush and the Fox media as a political message and platform, (and they paid the price), they so closely, willingly, and successfully associated themselves with the theories and rantings of people paid to say stupid things to promote and provoke an emotional response by twisting and ignoring the facts, that the entire party is largely seen by the general electorate as synonymous with those goofy rants. Tell me who is the sensible leader of the republican party? Who represents them by and large to the electorate, who does the electorate trust in the republican party to shoot it straight with them? John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, Mitt Romney, no it's not them, they have bought into crazy, Romney destroyed his own campaign by repeating silly Republican talk radio rants about 47% of the nation. The republican party has let the entertainment industry destroy their credibility, they put people out their like Palin and Trump to spew crap as if it was important and crucial to political policy and platform, they wanted that, they encouraged that, but the country did not buy into that BS, so instead of damaging the president and democrats they did far more damage to themselves. You know it is pretty simple really, if you spew BS constantly for four years, people will decide that you are just chock full of BS. Republicans did that to themselves, they destroyed their own credibility with the electorate, and now claiming that the people who can discern BS from the truth are low information voters, or just want something for free, will never solve their problems, in fact it just puts another nail in their political coffin. If you don't believe me then look at the poll numbers of the Gov of NJ, the only republican to publicly acknowledge the president in a favorable manner, and call out the republican media when it is guilty of BS.
Good riddance. One of the lib pork kings. He's given away enough of our money to the welfare libs.
Well there you go hjack that is just what I was talking about above. Fact is nine of the top ten welfare states are solid republican voting "red states", don't believe your hype, nobody collects more federal welfare than republicans. At least include the welfare cons in your complaint, and then you will have a chance to appear credible.
We have term limits. You see, every 2 years every seat of the HOUSE is up for election or not. In the SENATE seats are up every 6 years. If you don't like the person who is the incumbent in a given seat don't vote for them. If enough people vote for someone other than the incumbent they don't return to their seat. That is how we limit the number of years or terms anyone has in office. If you like who is in the seat than vote for them. There is no need to punish those who are serving their constituents well because a bunch of others are incompetent or refuse to serve constituents but will serve corporations.
Andres, Charlie and Gump,
Thank you for demonstrating your low information voter credentials. I love it when you guys trot out "Rommneys plan" as being one of the reasons the economy is screwed up. News flash for you two "livs", Rommney was never in office. It is statements like the ones you make that somehow point the finger at the guy who never had the job that puts you both squarely in the low information voter category. Geez.
BTW, I see the economy contracted last quarter. The fact is with taxes going up and Obamacare being implemented, the middle class is going to get screwed even more. This is Obama's economy we live in and it is brutal. Maybe the Senate ought to put a budget together at some point this century....it may help.
If it makes you feel better I will modify the "low information" tag to something more accurate. I will now refer to it as the: Low Information and Non-Accountable Voter" segment ("LINAV").
At the end of the day I think deep down you know I am right.
PS Andres: Paul Krugman has no clue. The guy is a bona fide LINAV
It is long past time for these liberal dinosaurs to step aside.....they have damaged the country immeasurably with their destructive tax and spend policies...
We need new young conservative leaders to fix the mess they caused.
GOP Comeback - funny since it's always the Democrats who have to fix the economy after Republicans almost ruin it. Now if we can just get rid of McCain, McConnell, Bachmann, etc., we may actually get things done!
Yes GOP Comback, we need new young conservatives to throw us back into another recession and to raise the unemployment rate back above 9%, that just what this country needs.
David, let's see. Obama taking ofice in 2009, 7.8 % unemployment, 2013, 7.8% unemployment(actually higher) 18 million people on food stamps, now 48 million, avg. family income down 6% compared to 2009, has increased the debt by more than 6 trillion dollars in 4 years, and has increased tax's for all. And you worship this loser?
Hey, David Nelson-922104
Ted Cruz for President !!!!!!!!!
Ted Cruz is a rising star inside the Republican party, the junior senator from Texas. Harvard law graduate. Another young senator, another Harvard law graduate...WOW... The GOP has something going.
Joe, look at the REASON for the problems that President Obama INHERITED from Bush, it was the SPEND AND SPEND AND SPEND and BORROW, cut taxes, start 2 wars without paying for them, Medicare provisions that were very expensive and unpaid for, huge expansion of the Federal Government with Homeland Security, Cheney stating, very loudly that "Deficits don't matter" crash the economy and THEN hand it off to Pres. Obama to fix....and YOU call it Pres. Obama's fault?
Delusional much?
B.Honest, give up on the Bush crap moron. I posted what are the facts. Forgot to mention that the economy has only grown 2.2% but has been trending down the past two years. Your fraud of a messiah has done NOTHING to improve it. His concern are strictly social ones. Let's worry about gay marriage , don't ask don't tell, and a host of all kinds of other B.S. Try being honest. What don't you liberal morons understand.
First time unemployment at 5 year low
Stock market at a 5½ year high
joe - give up on the "worship" nonsense. It just makes YOU look stupid. The President has done well with the mess Bush left and with Republicans vowing to block EVERYTHING he attempted to do - to hell with the country. Wake up and point fingers where they belong - at the Republican party. What don't you Republican morons understand?????
Pretending the guy never existed won't work. Bush did serious damage to this country's economy with his reckless administrations.
You mean FOX facts. One important fact you left out is the one that this country is in better shape by miles from where it was when your buddy left. Face the facts and quit trying to run from them.
Seeking, please explain away the stats I posted. Those are hard facts, yet you libtards seem to excuse them away.
Tony, wrong, even MSN has those stats, tell me how it's better now than before based on the facts.
If that means staying away from anything connected with the Tea Party, I'll agree with you. If you stay on the path of "hate" and "no compromise" you'll continue to get flushed down the toilet.
joe - idiot, when Bush left office the country was bleeding 700,000 jobs a month so yes, dummy, we have more people on government assistance. Would you prefer to see them dying in the streets? Dumb question - of course you would - you're a Republican! Damage doesn't stop the minute someone leaves office. If you knew anything about history you would know it takes YEARS to fix messes like the one Obama inherited. We are adding jobs - slowly - and, had the GOP in Congress not blocked the President's jobs bill 7 TIMES we would be doing better.
Why don't you at least TRY to be honest and see where the problem is - with the traitors YOU keep putting in office!
Oh, and anyone who uses the word "tard" in anything shows what a lowlife piece of scum they are. Children know better - too bad your parents raised you so poorly!
Look at the Dow Jones and tell me what you see.
tony - now now! We all know joe can only see negatives!
Seeking, the problem is your too ignorant to understand. Liberalism sounds like a disease because it is a disease. You suffer from a brain disorder that makes you act childish and irrational. Your type despises success because of your lack of it.
Tony, again, the numbers I posted you can even find on MSN. Tell me how great things are. The middle class is not playing in the stock market.
joe - the only diseased mind here is yours and you prove it with every post. And, sorry idiot, I'm very successful. I just appreciate that there are those who have been hurt terribly by the mess Bush created and I'm not against helping them until they get back on their feet.
Let me guess, you probably claim to be a Christian, too, right? Yet you don't give a damn about anyone. Typical Republican.
joe,
This thread is about Senator Harkin and the Senate in general.
Any thoughts on the the GOP Senators and their only solution to anything is NO?
They had a chance to even take over the Senate. but their candidates got all tied up in cultural issues and womens rights and lost.
Why? You would fail to comprehend. No sense in wasting my time. Time to move on.
NorthstarDFL - well said. Republicans want to control everything and everyone. It's a sickness!
joe - of course the middle class is in the stock market. Please stop watching FOX. It is rotting your brain!
Joe you described yourself perfectly. You have bought all the lies being told to you and then wonder why the rest of us don't.
President Obama did not destroy our country. First the republicans instead of paying down our debt decided it was better to give tax cuts to rich people and then they started two wars one based on lies by the very same people lying to you today. Then they gave more tax cuts and created the largest deficits in our history.
Then with the wall street greed they destroyed our economy and with the addition of the historic debt put our country in a serious recession.
Of course republicans want all of us to forget the past and what they did to our country. Actually what they are still doing to our country with the house trying to pass a budget that would created another recession on purpose.
Europe has proved that austerity only creates double dipped recessions.
Please pull your head out of the sand, quit believing the liars and you too will be smart enough to understand what liberals already see.
Sanity, you truly are drunk on blue koolaid. Control everything? And what are you sick liberals wanting to do? What we need is Federalists and true Constitutional Conservatives. Read the books dummies - we fought against the King and Monarchs, etc. Go back to our roots and return to small government.
Seeking, I consider myself a independent. You do know that conservatives are much more generous in giving to charities than libs. Just another fact. Feel free to look it up. I'm sure that your'e an exception and give all your money away.
Northstar, I can answer your question. Repubs of coarse are saying NO to Obama's socialist ideas. They are trying to prevent this country from becoming another third world. Keep in mind that half the country doesn't agree with King Obama
America, your'e such a pathetic confused mess that I'm not even going to try to debate with your pitiful self. Go drink the Kool-Aid with Jim Jones and feel free to bring as many libs with you.
The famous, or is it infamous Clint Eastwood chair from the RNC convention now sits in the office of RNC Chairman Rince Priebus.
How fitting to put that chair in his office. With enormous odds on the side of Republican, Priebus failed to win the Whitehouse, failed to win the Senate, lost seats in the House and if it weren't for gerrymandering in states that elected Republicans to Governorships and state legislatures it is likely he would have turned the House over to Democrats.
And his punishment for his total failure at winning anything he is elected for another two year term heading the RNC. If his leadership in the next two years is anything like the last two, Democrats, with huge odds against them in 2014, will once again hold the Senate with Dems having to defend 21 of 35 seats and have an even better chance of recapturing the House … Dems only need 18 seats
Truth hurts, right Joe?
When you don't have a legitimate response, just call people names, just like a child would do.
You can pretend all you want that the republicans didn't destroy our economy but that still doesn't change the truth.
Is that so Americans First? It took both the House and the Senate to pass those bills that ruined this economy.Last time i checked the senate has been ruled by the Democrats fo a very long time.hmmm Are the Democrats taking any blame at all?are they just using Republicans for scapegoats?It sure seems that way.I know the Democrats are not entirely innocent here.
The bills that caused our economy to falter and nearly collapse were passed by both chambers and signed into law happened between 2001 and 2005 when Republicans controlled both chambers and the Whitehouse.
Here's joe at 2.15, assessing the character of hundreds of millions of people he's never met (and wouldn't give the time of day to anyway): "Your type despises success because of your lack of it."
Dennis at 2.24, referrring to Reince Priebus: "And his punishment for his total failure at winning anything he is elected for another two year term heading the RNC."
(Ahem) joe*, you poor delusional sod, you're failing to make a very important distinction: We Progressives not only believe in rewarding success, we think it should be multiplied and shared.
Republicans, on the other hand, believe in reinforcing and lavishly rewarding failure; instead of finding those responsible for your disasters (the Iraq War, the Wall Street meltdown,and the mortgage bubble all come readily to mind, and that's just in the last decade, sugar britches) and holding them to account, you simply A. Deny that there's anything wrong at all, but if there is, B. Blame it all on those darn big-government, tax-and-spend Liberals!
Keep right on beating your head against that wall, joe; it's not gonna go away just because your ideology claims that it doesn't exist.
*If he wants to go all e.e. cummings on us, fine!
P.S. Fun wordplay for my fellow Progs: Reince Preibus. Take out the vowels and see what you get. Yet more proof that the Universe (or G-d, if you prefer) has a wicked sense of humour!
And then the Dems had both chambers for a few years and not much changed.This would indicate that it's not the parties themselves but the politicians who are in the parties.Clean house and senate and start over.
Give up Joe,You are never going to get any of these libs to agree with you on anything.The libs are incapable of listening to both sides of the story.There's is the only way things can be done and that's it.You either agree with them or you don't.I would'nt be suprised one day if they Libs actually tried to ban other political parties and open reeducation camps for those that disagree.
foxtrot ,"hundreds of millions"? you're just another fountain of misinformation who wants something that you have not earned. Why is it that libs who make up a minority of the population think that they are in charge?
wolf, as I have clearly stated, liberalism is a disease. They suffer from a brain disorder that makes them childish and irrational. If you do not agree with them they stomp their littlr feet and cry foul.
How funny!
NOBODY HAS MORE DINOSAURS THAN THE Republicans and the Tea Party:
For starters:
Lindsey Graham:
2011)
And now for the Democrat voting record irespond?It's good to be honest but you have to be fair too.
Wolfhound, your second remark might lead one to think that you're not trying to claim that every bad thing that's ever happened since the beginning of time is the fault of Liberals (like ole joe 28 nocaps).
If you seriously believe that the problem is entrenched legislators who are beholden to the monied special interests, and no longer give a rusty f*** about the nation's best interests, maybe you should go and check out: faircampaignreform.us and see what they (we!) are all about.
I myself think that, while there are still some people in the other Washington who are actually doing a halfway decent job for us, we could axe about eighty percent of them and nobody would notice a difference except maybe the bartenders and the call girls.
Great social movements begin when one intelligent person makes up her mind to act, and convinces one friend... who convinces a parent... who enlists a teacher... who signs up a cop...
As for bitter, frustrated hatemongers like joe28nocaps, he'll just get scraped off the wheels of Destiny and forgotten.
Peace!
JOE have you ever seen arguing with a liberal on youtube?LOL
FoxT: Loved your word play trick.
joe-# Is on ignore; I would hope neither one of you are dissing e. e. cummings.
wolf, no
Foxtrot, "hatemonger" wow, now I'm insulted. Big bad liberal.
Fox,I am not willing to say that just one party is responsible for what is going on today.I DO say that both parties need to be held accountable.Set all the Bush blaming aside,That's in the past and nothing we can do will change that.The Democrats have had their fair share of foul ups too.If Politicians are not doing what they were elected to do,they need to get the boot,simply put.This country has the potential to do whatever it wants to and yet we mire ourselves in political crap.Maybe we need to be more AMERICAN that politician.That goes for both the left AND the RIGHT.
joe Old joe here is a troll. Lets not feed the troll anymore.
dennis -- so nothing that happened before 2001 contributed to our situation? that is a bit of a stretch isn't it.
Smitty, is that the best you can do?
I am saying that no one has clean hands when it comes to the mess we are in.With all this name calling and mud slinging it is hard for anyone to make sense of any of this crap.Moderates are going to have to start up another party as they get attacked by both sides.
yeah billybob i agree,This situation has been many years in the making.
Let me weigh in here, the problem joe goes back to before Obama was sworn in the first time. The nation didn't just wake up on January 21st, 2009 and be in debt, nor was unemployment steady at that time. You got it wrong and as long as you vote against your own self interest you will get it wrong. Liberal is not a dirty word, conservative borrow and spend republicans are the problem not the cure for anything. In short the mental problem is yours. To my progressive friends, you just can't fix stupid and joe and the other conservatives are in that category.
Billybob, before 2001, the budget was balanced, people were working in record numbers and it didn't take W. long with his republican congress to turn that around. It has taken Obama 4 years but he has things going in the right direction despite the opposition and obstruction of the republican party/tea bags.
Wow, wolf hound agrees with billybob, both of you need to get out of your trailer more, neither of you have the IQ of a rock, in my opinion.
I like how you got 'borrow and spend' in there, Johntho; it's funny how little play that very true and accurate term gets in the lickspittle, lapdog corporate-controlled media.
Yeah, but 'tax-and-spend', also known as 'pay your own way', is supposed to be some kind of pejorative! And these people seriously present themselves as the party of fiscal responsibility! Makes me wonder if they're smokin' some of Washington's cash crop instead of Virginia's....
... nah, no way. Everybody knows smokin' reefer makes you mellow, and this pack of rabid dogs are anything but!
blah,....blah,.....blah,.......
Same old right wind brain dead game plan: blame Bush carry over on Obama, and pin blame for economic crash on him.
Well. If you people were so proud of Bush why haven't you trotted him out and put him on proud display,....like saaaaaaay during the Republican National Convention?
Hmmmmmmmm?
C'mon Pubbies,......seriously,.......where's Bushie at?
Any of you got stones enough to take that one on?
They planned on carting out GW, but they ran out of time when Clint Eastwood went a little over talking to a chair.
I see you've been having fun while I was gone - showing joe up for not knowing anything yet screaming it at the top of his lungs!
It's always amazing to watch the far right spew their nonsense!
I think what really pushes them right over the edge, Seeking, is when they learn that this one particular Liberal rottweiler, who's got a bigger, brassier pair than any THREE of them needledicks put together, is a- a -a GIRL!!!
I would say, "Give 'em Hell!", but in your case, just go right on telling 'em the truth; from where they're standing (or lying) they can't tell the difference anyhows.
Let's face it - anybody (including me) could have improved the economy with 6 trillon dollars of borrowed money...a good leader would have done it without that kind of recklessness...seriously - who can say we are better off? 6 trillon dollars! How can that be considered a victory for anyone for either party? I know all you Obama supporters like to trumpet positive facts but when seen through the lens of his spending how can you seriously take that stance? I am listening...
Fox, is that what your boyfreind told you?
"The famous, or is it infamous Clint Eastwood chair from the RNC convention now sits in the office of RNC Chairman Rince Priebus."
This is an example of just how totally STUPID the current Republican Party is. Michael Steele was elected as RNC Chairman after the 2008 election. As most people know, the GOP got whooped in that election. So Michael Steel rebuilt the GOP and in the 2010 off year election more Republicans were elected nationwide than in any other election in history. So how did the GOP reward him for this fantastic result --- they FIRED him. He was replaced by Reince Priebus. Under him Republicans LOST the presidential election, LOST seats in the house and LOST seats in the Senate. So how did Republicans reward him for his poor performance --- they gave him another term. Can you say MORONS???
"And then the Dems had both chambers for a few years and not much changed."
Another Republican myth. The Democrats had 60 votes in the Senate for about 3 weeks. Then Senator Kennedy got sick and that was the end of that. Since then Republicans gave used the filibusterer over 360 times -- more by a factor of 2 than ALL OTHER CONGRESSES COMBINED. Both Senators John McNasty (McCain) and Mitch McConnell have filibustered bills they sponsored.
Both Democrats and Republicans should follow suit. We have too many life long politicians in office.
we have too many politicians that are not doing their jobs in general.(which by the way is the people of the U.S)
The only reason McCain was returned is that a suitable replacement was not running. You really don't want to replace a problem with a bigger problem.
There should be a term limit on both the house and senate just as there is for the President. Two terms is certainly enough for each. These fools get into office and don't know when to quit - two terms would take care of that.
tammy, nice thought but no one would want to do it. This is their career.
I agree, however, Harkin has done a pretty good job. Actually Grassley has too. That's why Iowa keeps voting both of them back in.
But I think term limits would be appropriate in the house and senate. Maybe not two... maybe a bit longer than that.
I personally think that we,the government employers should decide on their wages and benefits ,as well as their punishments for convicted improprieties. Term limits? I don't know.
Sen. Ted Kennedy was a good example of why term limits need to be in place. Sen McCain and some others also.
litoire,when was the last time any of these politicians asked us what we really thought about todays topics in Washington?
Actually, tammenyhall, I think we're good with the term limits in place that we've had since the birth of our great Republic. They're called regularly scheduled elections, and many of our British and Canadian brethren envy that particular facet of our version of Democracy.
Legislators who get too comfortable with people fawning all over them, and who get too cozy with special interest groups who just might not be looking out for your and my best interests, chuck their lazy arses out onto the bricks- and no lobbying jobs for ten years', minimum! Let's see if that'll make them take their duties a little more seriously, hah?
When we get somebody in there who is actually busting their hump for us (my state's Senators, Cantwell and Murray, come to mind) and knows the ropes and how to make things happen, why toss 'em out just because of an arbitrary date on a calendar? Their most productive years might still be ahead of them!
Let's focus on restricting lobbying and corporate money in our elections, for starters; maybe we can weld closed the 'revolving door' that runs from the House to K Street. Get the dirty money out of politics.
Remember, the only people who will say it can't be done are the people who have reason to hope it can't!
Fox ,it is a good thing we don't prctice the kind of Democracy that the ancient greeks in Athens did.It was pretty chaotic to say the least.
Greek- style direct democracy, multiplied by the Internet, would cause Stephen Hawking to blow a cranial gasket. No, I'm not advocating anything of that kind; note my reference to 'our great Republic.'
I think a logical first step is to get the money out of our political process and get back to the tried, true, and still effective New England town meeting model, and I think faircampaignreform.us has a pretty good outline for how to accomplish that.
Slinging mud is easy, and Lord knows it's buckets o' fun, but there are still a few people out there who realize that at some point, the grown-ups have to come out and wash all that mud away so we can get back to fixing bridges, planting crops, and whatnot.
joe28 won't stick around for the cleanup part. You sound like you're a lot more grown up than him or Roy. What say, fellow Citizen?
Wake up Tammy, terms are limited by the vote, it's called democracy. While I agree there are some nasty old men in congress (John McCain for example). It's up to their constituents to decide when they leave.
We don't need term limits we need intelligent informed voters.
What you get with term limits are politicians, knowing they cannot be reelected, work their final term trying to impress their next employed … the lobbies / special interest.
Rick and Dennis, thank you for the 'second'. I have always felt that term limits as a way of fixing the corruption in the system is kind of like the old Kellogg- Briand Pact, which made aggressive war ''illegal." Gosh, that just fixed everything, didn't it? Here come the panzers doing their end run around the Maginot Line, and there's a French lawyer with a 'cease and desist' order... yeah.
Dennis, you nailed it as usual with your remark about 'their next employers'. No real reform will be possible until we turn the lobbyists out into the street, in much the same manner that St. Patrick is said to have done with a reptile problem in his parish. Close that revolving door forever and the lawmakers can no longer look forward to a 700% salary increase if the voters turn them out of office. They'll just have to concentrate on doing their damned jobs, won't they?
The lobbyists are barnacles on the Ship of State. Banish the whole stinking, corrupting, amoral lot of them. Let them find respectable occupations, like hustling pool or making book on bocce and shuffleboard tournaments.
Tammenyhall...I'd have to agree with you that given the high level of "politics," being the priority term limits are a necessity. I'd also add that reform is long over due to remove the influence of lobbyists targeting any potential, declared or office holding elected representative at any level. I"d also support a complete cap on campaign finance. Every candidate would be required to have the same amount to campaign on no perks, no outside sources, no third party funded ads or endorsements. Did anyone bother to check the equivalent of a time sheet for each U.S. House of Representatives member?
I wish Sen. Harkin the very best as he retires he will be missed by many. His shoes will be very hard to fill.
Term limits Shouldn't be needed. If someone in congress isn't doing a good job for their district, state, and country they should be voted out. Allot of people support term limits in theory, but when it comes to the specific of voting Their incumbent out, they usually get re-elected. Long term congress know the ropes, have more clout, have more access to campaign funds etc, etc, etc. So in specific who wants to reduce their own state's power? But every other state and district should do it of course.
Morghiel, you just articulated most of my own best arguments against term limits. My sense of the thing is that term limits are a quick and dirty, feel-good solution to the problem of entrenched corruption in the other Washington, which solution will merely cause chaos and bring the already-extant corruption out into the open.
I feel strongly that it would be much more effective to enact serious, not-f*****g-around laws concerning the access and influence of lobbyists, and outside money in campaigns. As it is now, our Presidential campaigns last for two years. Our Representatives in the House, elected for two-year terms, must now spend almost all of their time in office whoring for contributions, so they can stay in office. Those who are voted out needn't worry- they can just go to work as lobbyists and be right back on the Hill within a week, at eight or 10 times the salary.
How, one wonders, does any of this serve the interests of the nation?
There's a website I've been flogging on this space and on Facebook since I learned about it a week or so ago. Check out faircampaignreform.us and see what you think. Their platform includes term limits (of course) but I think there are enough people of good will like you, me, Dennis, Rick, and many others, to turn the focus away from that; I like it because they have some very specific and sound ideas about campaign finance and lobbying reform. Check it out and tell your friends.
Peace!
2 terms max for any politicians, time to send these fools packing esp Reid Pelosi and their ILK.
Su[erBrain (hint - you don't have one) the ones we desperately need to send packing are: McCain, McConnell, Bachmann, Boehner and Cantor! These buffoons can't do anything!
right on superbrain, public service should never be a career. it was not ment to be a career, that's why there aree so many crooks and theves in our congress.
jerry, who then would interupt their "real" career to go into public service for a short period. When that is over , what does that person due for a "real" career again.
I see grammar is not a strong suit of the rwnj trolls today.
tony, nor is simple common sense a strong suit of the liberals.
rwnj Good Grammer?
Brain? /You consider only Democrats? How much I don't value your unbiased opinion.
Point proved. Try using spell check, roc.
Intentional if you have not figured it out yet!
Seeking,
It's funny that you mention only GOP politicians and call them buffoons and insult them, did it ever occur to you that they may be doing what their voters want, and if they are not then their voters will replace them?
You call these guys names and insult them but I dont ever recall hearing about one of them asking if an island was going to tip over if we put marines on it. Maybe term limits are not the answer but basic competency tests might help.
Almost every post on here is so partisan, it's disgusting. Our government works on compromise, not just one side rolling over for the other, neither party is made up of saints yet neither side can admit mistakes. Both sides have just as many idiots and corrupt POS incumbents that are only looking out for their own interests that need to go home.
The same partisan stuff you see on here is what happens in DC, how can any of you expect a different outcome than the one we see here.
Thank you, Tom, for your service.
Iowa, slam the door early on Republican aspirations in the Hawkeye State. The stock market is through the roof, bin Laden is dead, the automotive industry is alive, our soldiers are coming home, and a new and better America is rising from the ashes left by an unrepentent GOP.
In other news, Zuckerberg backs Christie. Which Republican Party shall we be seeing in 2016?
MSNBCMFE - The GOP won't back Christie - they don't like that he actually cooperates with Democrats to get things done. The only way Christie runs for anything but Governor is as an Independent. The GOP only wants obstructionists and those who will sing loyalty oaths to Grover Norquist. Don't think Christie would do that.
Seeking, what a pathetic hypocrite you are. Before Sandy happened you libs despised Christie, called him all kinds of names. Now all of a sudden you love him.
joe - liar. You've never seen me post anything bad about Christie. And although people have joked about his weight, I don't recall any nasty comments about him. Again, you just make it up as you go along!
Who says we still don't? I don't trust that obese sack of crap any farther than I can see him. And as far as name calling goes....well don't even go there. I could make an awfully long post on what you rwnj's have called the POTUS.
tony, seeking, you don't even realize that your hypocrites, scary. But then, I'm not really surprised. It goes back to the brain disorder libs have.
Sanity posted, "Su[erBrain (hint - you don't have one) the ones we desperately need to send packing are: McCain, McConnell, Bachmann, Boehner and Cantor! These buffoons can't do anything!". And your LWFU's have done what to promote posterity, values, honor, Constitutionalism? Holder, Geithner, Reed, Pelosi have done what good, sanity. Are you really this stupid?
Tony, please keep posting. Your ignorance is bliss.
I wouldn't vote for Christy as he is a republican and all republicans are against real freedom.
But I do admire him more than most because he seems to have some kind of brain and seems to care about the people in his state even the democrat ones.
Republicans will only be perfecting their bait and switch program, where they lie to the American people about their agenda and like in Michigan the republicans pass the same law again that the people just voted down in a fair election. Also the rigging of the electoral vote is just another scheme to disenfranchise the American voters.
The republicans agenda of suppressing the vote and the will of the people is not the actions of a party that believes in freedom. Vote for any republican at your own peril.
Occupy, Republicans are against real freedom. What is real freedom? Relying on the big government for your existence? Real Freedom - I thought that was following the Constitution and all it stood for. You know, like choosing your own options and against big government. What, are you 12? You obviously don't know jack about code, honor, liberty, and rights. BTW, occupy is not an option - turncoat.
Americans, please, your'e actually more of a confused mess then I first thought. Hope your mother doesn't own any guns, as you are completely delusional. Just remember to hail to your king
There isn't much hope joe.We have about as much chance of stopping Obama as Germany did stopping Hitler in 1932.People are just enamored with Obama as he apparently can do no wrong.The truth will come out someday and everyone will deny it.
Yes the Supreme Court gave women the right to decide about her own body is a very important freedom that republicans are trying to take away with their ignoring the separation of church and state. That is part of the constitution that republicans try to pretend isn't there.
As a man I am sure you don't want the government to limit the kind of gun or the amount of ammunition you can shoot, but think it is just fine to take personal choice decisions about her own body away from women.
Yes small government if it affects your choices, but the government can be just as big as it needs to be to take rights away from women.
Then you also seem to be ignoring the voter suppression that republicans have been pushing like a dictator would be doing in a third world country to rig elections. Apparently in republican land voting is not a real freedom to protect.
Choosing your own options? How do you square that with taking the right to choose her own options away from women? The republicans platform of forcing women to have babies created in rape seems to be going against what you decribe as freedom of choosing your own options as protected in our constitution.
Yours is expected and I see you didn't disappoint.
wolf, I feel the same way. Now even have women on the front lines, and Arnie Duncan demanding that all schools form sport teams for the disabled. Thought that school was for learning. Needless to say that we can't afford anything new at schools. Obama will have them end all sports if the disabled can't play.
occupy, read my post 6.10
again, why? It makes no sense other than to point out that you're a true good old boy. Right down to the "king" reference which everyone knows is a racist term. Except maybe you, because you really don't understand what you say. You only repeat what you hear from "hate mongers" on the right.
Joe, just like our president said, name calling is not a legitimate argument.
You can't disprove anything I have said so you resort to childish name calling and then expect us to believe the same lies you do because you know how to be rude and childish.
tony, "king" is now racist. Wake up stupid, he thinks he is a king. I'm sick of hearing that we're racists when the truth is liberals are more likely to be the racists. I could care less what color this guy is. By the way, I actually have many BLACK FREINDS. Can you say the same??
Occupy, anything you have said is just been a bunch of babble. Hard to prove or disprove babble.
Wolfhound, you disappoint me; in the beginning, I was actually wondering if one of those extremely rare (but not quite extinct!) creatures, the Principled Conservative, had reared his hoary head on this page.
Alas, it appears that under the goading of your less-articulate, less-intelligent, and clearly less civilized fellow travellers, you're giving in to your worse nature.
Don't assume that all Progressives worship Obama; it's not true and never has been, it just sounds good to Republican pundits who can't think of any better way to describe his continuing appeal, after four years and billions of dollars have been expended trying to make us believe that he's the Antichrist (in whom I likewise don't believe).
Think for yourself, and don't automatically assume that the fellow who doesn't agree with you is evil, stupid, criminal, or all of the above.
Some Reich-wingers, like joe28 the hatemonger, are clearly beyond redemption, and revel in so being. They hate Obama more than they love America; to me, that's the kind of logic that would, in a reasonable world, disquailfy them from voting.
joe, I honestly can't picture you with any "friends". Not when they discover it is your hand on their billfold.
johntho, another messed up in the head bleeding heart liberal. Funny that you think I would have my hand on someones billfold when that is exactly what you liberals are all about.
joe blow, the more you spew, the more you show how dumb and out of touch you are. Yes, "king" in reference to Barack Obama is most definitely used as a racial slur. Since all of you birthers out there think he was born in Africa, which has been ruled mostly by self appointed monarchs and/or dictators, it's a popular term used by rwnj's who think they're intelligent. Doesn't surprise me any that you don't get it. But then again, you folks don't get a lot of stuff.
tony - as someone said, joe is nothing more than a troll - don't feed the trolls. It's useless because he has no common sense and isn't able to comprehend facts. Leave him alone and let him wallow in his ignorance! It's all he has!
and a poor excuse for one at that. Even worse than that Augustus dude who stalks anyone who answers one of his posts. Wait, I got! Maybe it's the same person. Nah, they wouldn't do a thing like that, would they? LOL! This guy's like mouse caught by a cat who is just toying with it.
tony, seeking, I have to laugh at your ignorance, it's amazing how screwed up in the head you liberals are.
These foxes are in charge of Ye Olde Henhouse. Do you really think these egomaniacs would put themselves out with a (gasp) term limit? About as much chance as the Olde Snowball in Hell. Slim and none. And you know where Slim went.
spending other peoples money can be very addicting indeed.
The more of the old guard that leaves the better our chances for better leadership and reaching across the aisle. Bye Rinos and Dinos
Thank you Senator Harkin. Without you we would not have had the American With Disabilities Act. I know my right wing friends will condemn you for it but that single act touches everyone in a positive way everyday and they don't even know it.
Yes, the AWDA. Tell me, can a blind person legally obtain a gun permit? Nope, but why not?
The act says an employer needs to make reasonable accomdations. Can a blind person become a truck driver? Probably not as that would not be reasonable. I used to work for a major farm implement manufacturer in the early 80"s before AWDA was enacted. We had a blind guy running a lathe. Can that same guy get a gun permit? I see (no pun intended) reason why not.
One less person to follow the leader. Lets hope for someone with their own mind and will do what is good for the American People.
It won't happen that way.Once a person gets to Washington they learn to make deals with the devil.Too much Comprimise.In the end,even the best intended politician gives way to politicis as usually and loses sight of what they wanted to do in the 1st place.
NOt so fast about the right wing condemning. I believe that he was one of the good ones that could think for himself and had several friends on the other side. The ones that are incontrol of the demos need to wake up. I hate to see good statesmen leave but I can understand him doing so. Good Luck and live on.
Theoretically an Election should set a term limit but people just wont vote some of these Dinosaurs out! Goes for both sides from McCain to Fienstien!
Returning from Washington in the late 80s with Harkin on the same plane revealed him to be loud and borish. Iowa deserved him. Fortunatly the plane dropped him off in DesMoines and we continued quietly on to Omaha.
Him and a bunch others are a reason for term limits.....TERM LIMITS NOW!!!!!!
@ Joe,,,let's see how much seeking and tony think of their mesiah when the market crashes...and it IS coming very soon!
eazyray - when you use the word "messiah" in respect to President Obama it shows you to be a blithering idiot - just like joe!
We ought to rethink these calls for "term limits." They have their advantages and disadvantages. We threw out a lot of the traditional "dinosaurs" in the election of 2010 and replaced them with mostly Republican freshmen who brought new ideas into the Congress.
Look what we've had since then -- absolutism on the far right. Fresh new faces who would, like Samson, bring down the entire temple and kill everyone in it in order to spite their enemies.
Both sides are too busy throwing insults at each other to actually deal with issues at hand.
"We ought to rethink these calls for "term limits."
Cannuh gedduh AMEN for Charlie!?
Hey Charlie, check out some of mine, Wolfhound's, and Dennis's on this thread. Just between us aliens, I think Wolfhound is actually a closet Moderate but isn't quite ready to 'come out' to the raving, rabid, Reich-wingers.
Wolfhound, dontcha know that respecting everybody's opinion, even vacant-eyed, mouth-breathing twits (which you're certainly not) is fundamental to our creed? Sure, we've got our share of Stalinist wackos just like the R's do- but our wackos will chill right out and be downright reasonable if you don't come at 'em like Joe McCarthy on a serious crank binge.
Come to the Progressive side, Wolfhound- the R's have all the money, but we've got all the fun.
I sure hope they don't put in an internationalist,......this one/new world order is for the birds, not Americans.
eazy, don't worry, they will still blame bush. Thank god that liberals only make up between 18-20% of the population here. 20% too many for me. I would be for free castration, abortion and birth control for libs just to help end that dreaded disease, "liberalism"
P.S. must be bottle feeding time for Sanity and Occupy, where did they go??
Joe, you apparently did not study how the US came to be in the first place, the entire IDEA of the USA was a LIBERAL, PROGRESSIVE idea, otherwise we would still be part of the British Monarchy.
b. honest, you are a total joke. "Liberal, progressive idea". Go back to watching cartoons.
joe - last response I make to you since you have proved you lack the intelligence of a rock. I had a meeting with clients and, unlike you, don't hang out here all day. I realize it's all you have so enjoy!
Hey Einstein, why don't you tell us what a liberal, progressive idea is, and we'll see how close you come.
tony, why don't you tell me what a liberal, progressive idea is. I'm sure whatever it is , is probably going to cost me more. Just like the rest of your failed liberal ideas cost me.
Joe, on the whole, that's pretty dumb.
"don't worry, they will still blame bush."
Whenever I hear that comment I chuckle at the very short memory you Republicans have. From 1976 to 1992 you whined and cried, moan and groaned and complained and complained more and bitched, carried on and on and blamed President Carter of everything wrong in the entire universe. Then from 1992 to 2008 you whined and cried, moan and groaned and complained and complained more and bitched, carried on and on and blamed President Clinton for everything that was wrong in the entire universe. So – using the standard you set – the left has another 29 years to blame Bush for everything just to pull even with you.
SeekingSanity, I have to disagree. joe has clearly demonstrated that he has the intelligence of a rock. Not a particularly smart one, but he'd make a good paperweight. You're welcome, joe.
test
He was and is a good Senator for Iowa. He would have been reelected easily. Just decided it was time to retire and get out of the clown college in Washington. Good for him.
tonybeeerm
That's for damn sure, seeking. I think the only way that old codger is leaving the Senate is in a coffin.
Just like the Murderer Teddy Kennedy did ?
Fisherman12 - that the best ya got? Oh, wait, of course it is. It's ALL you have. Typical moronic Republican!
Oh, as if "moronic Republican" is a great comeback. Try a little bit harder next time FoundInsanityInTheMirror.
Obama is a communist, and gives guns to mexican drug cartels, his followers are welfare bums lookin for free phones off the tax payers dime.(tax payer = someone who works and earns his pay check)bum =someone who takes their money from others who earn it.
Turn off Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Faux News. Oh, and grab hold of your shoulders and tug real hard so you can pull your head out of your a$$.
Carl! You get the award for the absolute dumbest post today!
Congrats!
Carl - yet another moron of the far right! You guys never fail to provide a laugh!
About as dumb of a statement as I hear from the left,you don't have to join them.
Carl marks yet another low point for the right wing cause. (Sorry, couldn't resist the pun!)
30 years is about 24 years too long for these douche bags in Congress.
Harry Reid should go right behind him, after Caving in to Mitch, the Turtle. Hate to see you go Tom.
Caving in? You laughable libs are hysterical. If you don't get everything you want, you even want your libby friends gone....Hey wait a minute, keep spewing your vomit!!
cut through the bull crap: he cannot get elected!!!! why? he is a demonrat! a taxing, anti christian demonrat.
Wow, Feel Better?
buffalo - you're a total imbecile - nothing we don't expect from the far right. He would have been re-elected without trying as he is LOVED by his constituents. You truly are pathetic!
Have you ever noticed when neocon hypocrites start claiming someone is anti-christian, they'll point to things that Jesus Christ never commanded or taught and typically follow something that Christ actually refuted.
Here's a hint, the ast election, even republicans rightfully rejected you sniveling religious hypocrites, we're sick of you and quite frankly the next election is going to see more of your kind put on their behinds.
Imbecile, moron...gee FoundInsanityInTheMirror, you're certainly espousing the 2nd grade level writing ability of you and your laughable libs.