Filibusted!
The job of pundit, every so often, lends itself to delusions of grandeur. It goes with the territory. Which is why my immediate thought, upon hearing of the abrupt resignation of the Tea Party's leader in the Senate, was: "Wow, I guess the column I posted yesterday on the inherent hypocrisies in the current Republican Party's positions just blew his mind."
Of course, such egotistical outbursts usually subside quickly, and when sanity returned, I realized that Senator Jim DeMint is quite likely not a regular reader of these columns. I mean, realistically speaking, I just don't think he's a fan or anything.
Instead, DeMint seems to be following the leadership path of another Tea Party star, Sarah Palin. What is about these folks? When the going gets tough, they quit. Instead of serving the constituents who elected them, they throw in the towel in the hopes of getting far-more-lucrative work in the conservative-entertainment complex. Palin gets a cushy gig on Fox News, and DeMint gets to run a "think tank" where he's free to rant and rave all he wants for a reported seven-figure salary. Nothing like putting principle first for Tea Party leaders! The principle being, of course: "Me first! Me, me, me!" Or, perhaps: "This job's just no fun anymore!"
You can forgive me my fantasy of influencing the Republicans, since another amusing story broke today in the Senate, where Harry Reid showed that he can call a bluff with the best of them. Yesterday, I wrote:
John Boehner is caught in his own Republican doublethink, and is arguing both sides of an ideological question all by himself. It's not just doublethink, it's actually doubledebate.
This was, you understand, merely a weak attempt on my part to be witty and Orwellian at the same time. Today, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell proved that life does, at times, imitate art. McConnell tried to play a game of politics with Harry Reid, and lost. A favorite Republican tactic for the past few years has been to force votes on contentious pieces of legislation in order to get Democrats on record and thus embarrass them later by saying things like "Zero Democrats voted for this bill!" Today, the game backfired on him.
McConnell called today, publicly and loudly, for the Senate to vote on legislation which would give President Obama the ability to extend the national debt ceiling on his own, which could only be overridden by a two-thirds vote in Congress (much like a veto). Obama added this as part of his fiscal cliff plan, very craftily pointing out that he was given similar power after Mitch McConnell himself came up with the idea in the last cage match over the budget and the debt ceiling.
So, to recap: Mitch McConnell suggests handing Obama this power last year. The idea is included in the bill. Obama exercises this power. This way, the Republicans can hold a meaningless vote in Congress on the debt ceiling as a face-saving measure. This morning, McConnell suggests a Senate vote on permanently giving the president the same power McConnell had suggested previously.
It was all a ruse, to play some politics with Harry Reid. Reid, though, checked with his caucus and called McConnell's bluff. He offered an immediate, up-or-down vote. McConnell then had to kill his own suggestion to bring the bill to a vote.
Here's how Harry Reid put it (other Democrats also had some other amusing things to say on the subject):
What we have here is a case of the Republicans here in the Senate once again not taking "yes" for an answer. This morning the Republican leader asked consent to have a vote on his proposal. Just now I told everyone we're willing to have that vote, an up-or-down vote, and now the Republican leader objects to his own idea, so I guess we have a filibuster of his own bill.
A day after I accused John Boehner of "doubledebate" we are presented with the spectacle of Mitch McConnell filibustering the bill he demanded a vote on earlier in the day.
The moral of this story, kiddies, is: "Don't try to bluff a man who hails from a state where gambling is legal." Or, to put it another way: when Reid called his bluff, McConnell got filibusted.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
It is hard to argue that either DeMint or Palin shouldn't take the money when offered. It's like trasitioning out of a job when you've reached the ceiling.
Who would want to be an elected Republican when you can be the guy who is telling the elected Republicans what to do?
Oh, and for far more money ...
-David
Nothing like putting principle first for Tea Party leaders! The principle being, of course: "Me first! Me, me, me!"
This is what happens when you follow Randian principles - you have no principles and only care about yourself and how much money you can make...
The filibuster story is pretty funny. Why does it seem that Republicans spend half their hours in Congress either passing bills that have no chance of being signed into law (repealing Obamacare 40 million times) or on cheap petty political points (again with bill that have no chance of being signed into law)? Am I missing something about the American political system??
Fun game. Did you know that today the unemployment rate dropped to 7.7%, a 4 year low.
CBS News front-page: Economy adds 146K jobs in Nov., jobless rate drops
NBC News front-page: JOBLESS RATE HITS 4-YEAR LOW
Now try and find this news on Fox's front page. You have 30 seconds. Go!
PS. Saw the headline 'Flustered McConnell filibusters his own bill' in my RSS feed and my first thought was that I must be on the Onion News section. I wasn't.
I'm kind of impressed by DeMint. Just when I thought Republicans had no principles, apparently some, in the Tea Party, do! Granted the its-all-about-me survival-of-the-fittest isn't much of a principle, and I've no idea why anyone would want such a person as their representative?! But, it is a principle, and some do seem to honor it.
I'm grateful, by the way, to Mitch. There can be no more lucid and succinct example of what's wrong with the filibuster, how its being grossly and routinely abused, and why we need to reform it, than the spectacle of the Republican Minority Leader filibustering his own bill! When we say Republicans indiscriminately filibuster everything, we mean everything, even their own bills!
Thank you Mitch for making it possible for us to say that.
Now try and find this news on Fox's front page. You have 30 seconds. Go!
It's finally on there now. Breaking news fast on Fox. You'll have to struggle to find it though, an article about the 'war on men' is more important...
Who would want to be an elected Republican when you can be the guy who is telling the elected Republicans what to do?
You mean, like Obama consulting with Maddow and Sharpton on budgetary issues???
:D
Once again, proving that there ain't no difference between Democrats and Republicans...
Michale
0290
Michale [8] -
Except that Democrats don't complain so much. Read a story (can dig it up if you'd like) about a rightie pundit (Laura Ingraham or whomever? dunno...) who complained about Maddow and Sharpton being briefed by the White House -- even though the very same pundit had attended the very same type of meeting with George W. Bush a few years back.
Democrats play the "access" game too, you're right about that. They just don't complain when the other side does it, too. Or at least not with as much naked hypocrisy.
-CW
CW,
Except that Democrats don't complain so much.
Democrats not whining!!!???
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WE5oYe0iiTc/SOEnZybrU2I/AAAAAAAAA9c/Aot7Ua88tQs/s400/Official+Seal+of+the+Democratic+Party.jpg
Shirley, you jest... :D
Michale
0293
293 comments? Gulp.
293 comments? Gulp.
Yea... And I feel like I'm just getting started!!! :D
Michale
0294
At least putting up with the bilge means money going to a cause EVERYONE agrees is worth support.
Hey, Kevin!
I have felt your lurking presence around here of late. :)
And, you have to remember that Michale is pledging $5 per comment, too! Or, was that a loonie (or more ... heh) ... I always forget.
I'm with Chris on this one ... here's hoping our fearless leader of the comments section makes it to one thousand posts by New Year's Day!
Michale
Yea... And I feel like I'm just getting started!!! :D
That's what I like to hear! Music to my ears, in other words. :)
Elizabeth-
I've been "lurking" because I've given up on my pleas to the two or three sane regulars who keep wasting their time trying to argue with the house nutbar. There's nothing they can say that will get through that contanimated head; and my eyes are going to the extent that I worry I might miss an interesting comment while I scroll past the delusionial bleats of his "patheticness".
I've been "lurking" because I've given up on my pleas to the two or three sane regulars who keep wasting their time trying to argue with the house nutbar. There's nothing they can say that will get through that contanimated head; and my eyes are going to the extent that I worry I might miss an interesting comment while I scroll past the delusionial bleats of his "patheticness".
TRANSLATION:
I have no logical or rational rebuttal so I'll just resort to childish personal attacks...
:D
's OK, Kevin.. I know you are still a nice guy... :D
Michale
0296
Michale,
Aside from your political and social views, I feel the same :)