Democrats Call GOP Bluff: All-Night Threat Yields Financial Reform Discussion

Image from source, TPM Muckraker

So, was it "internal pressure," or as Rachel Maddow suggests, fear of the dreaded cots?

[Excerpt]

Bowing To Internal Pressure, GOP Allows Debate On Financial Reform

Without a single objection, Republicans tonight dropped their three day filibuster of financial reform legislation, agreeing unanimously to debate the Democrats' bill on the Senate floor.

Though clearly a big defeat for the Republicans, their line tonight is that they endured this week's political maelstrom for a substantive reason: to allow Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) to extract as many concessions out of Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd as he could. When Dodd said no more, they relented. . .

Read more at: TPM Muckraker

Republicans (and One Democrat) Block Financial Reform Debate

Image from source, Huffington Post

No! No! No! A bajillion times no! We won't even discuss it!  And you know what? If the Democrats manage to break the filibuster (or for once make them actually stand there and DO it), they should shut them completely out of the discussion, and vote the damned thing in. If they've voted that it need not be discussed, why should they have a seat at the table? Just sayin'. . .

[Excerpt]

GOP, Ben Nelson Block Debate On Financial Reform Bill

Undaunted by a Senate setback, Democrats appeared increasingly confident Monday they will be able to take advantage of Americans' anger at Wall Street and push through the most sweeping new controls on financial institutions since the Great Depression. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Republican Plan for Everything: Start Over!

When the GOP isn't saying "NO!" they're saying "Start over!" About just about everything.  Now, when I hear Sen. Mitch McConnell or John Boner Boehner say something, my spidey sense always starts tingling. But when you hear the very same words echoed by the lesser lights in the Senate and House, and then by FOX "News" and Karl freakin' Rove, I automatically know it's b.s.

GOP Blocks 97 Nominations

With the seeming new-found cooperation on financial reform, I was beginning to think that the Republicans were shedding their "party of no" reputation. Sadly, no is still the order of the day.  I'd get it it there were legitimate concerns about certain judicial appointments. But, c'mon, 97 of them? Really? That just spells o-b-s-t-r-u-c-t-i-o-n pretty clearly, doesn't it?

[Excerpt]

Republicans Block Votes On 97 Federal Nominees In A Single Day 

Republicans have been blocking votes on nominees to federal posts, taking longer to confirm President Obama’s nominees to executive agencies than nominees submitted by the previous three administrations. Due to these blocks, there is a backlog of 101 executive branch nominees that have yet to be voted on, ranging from the Transportation Safety Authority chief to members of the Marine Mammal Commission. Senators commonly issue “anonymous holds” to prevent a nomination from coming up for a vote. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

 

President Obama Makes Some Recess Appointments

Not just yes, but hell yes. Since the inauguration, Republicans have been blocking President Obama's nominees for all kinds of things. Many, if not most of the blocks have not been put in place because of severe disagreement on the appointees, but just to gum up the works. Republicans might argue that President Bush made his recess appointees for the exact same reason. I might not agree with that, but if it was good enough then, then suck it up, to the conservatives who are bitching about it now.

[Excerpt]

Obama makes 15 recess appointments, blames Republicans

U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday announced his plan to make 15 recess appointments held up by Republican delays, including two Treasury Department positions and two on the National Labor Relations Board that have been vacant for more than a year. . .

Read more at: Reuters

Democrats: There is NOTHING You Can Do to Woo GOP

Yep, Rachel Maddow again. Her Rachel Re: segments are almost always excellent, but this one manages to both kick but and take names. For real. Hypocrisy is nothing new in politics of course, on either side of the aisle. But the nerve of the current GOP to be so vocally trashing (with help from FOX "News" and talk radio) the stimulus plan, while taking credit for it back home, is a little stunning. Or at least it is when it is all laid out for you.

Stunning and tedious really. There's no way to go through the list of these Republican legislators without it being repetitive. Stick through it if you want to hear all their names. But at least jump ahead to the final fourth of the video, where Rachel is just so dead on right in her plea to Democrats: knock off the optimistic talk of bipartisanship, and kill the filibuster. It makes no difference how good the policy, or even if it originated on the GOP side, they are not going to vote with you. Rachel does everything but tell them to grow a set.

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Republican Meow Mix: No, No, No, No!

Cute? Too cute?

DNC Ad: 62% For Health Care

If President Obama really wants to do this, when is he going to have a better chance? He really needs to start ignoring the party of "no," and just do it already.

GOP: 100 Days of "No"

Speaks for itself.

GOP Sends Out Push Poll (Again)

As I've said before, I used to be a Republican. Actually, like most people, I sort of assumed the party of my upbringing, kind of like how people tend to be the same religion as their parents. And though the scales fell off my eyes, and I left the party years ago, I'm still on their mailing list. Or emailing list, as it stands these days. My last piece of snail mail from the GOP came before the election, with Karl Rove's signature on it. ---shudder---

These days, the GOP is feeling a lot less mighty, and is seemingly adrift. The appointment of Michael Steele as their leader promised big changes. And then things got weird. Steele alternated between chewing and kissing Rush Limbaugh's ass. He tried to get all jiggy with it, and proclaimed that he'd make the party hipper, or hip-hoppier or something. But if the current online "survey" is any indication, there is little change happening here.

Twice before, I've posted GOP questionnaires that were little more than push polls. The new one is more of the same. It is impossible for a now ex-Republican to answer this poll correctly, because to do so presupposes that you agree with the phrasing of the question. And I vehemently disagree with how many of the (loaded) questions are set up. For instance:

1. A recent national poll reported that nearly 25% of Americans want the government to pass more socialism. Do you agree or disagree? Agree/Disagree/Undecided

I've got to say "Undecided" because I do not agree with the GOP's definition of "socialism."

5. Should Republicans unite to block new federal government bureaucracy and red tape that will crush future economic growth? Yes/No/Undecided

Again, it's "Undecided" because I don't have any way to know if these things will really "crush future economic growth."

8. Should we do everything we can to block Democrats who are trying to shut down conservative talk radio with the so-called "fairness doctrine"? Yes/No/Undecided

I don't agree that the Fairness Doctrine would shut down talk radio, nor do I believe the issue has any traction. "Undecided" again.

10. Should Republicans unite in opposition to judicial nominees who bring a personal, left-wing agenda on social issues to their jobs as judges? Yes/No/Undecided

An honest question should be, "Should Americans unite in opposition to judicial nominees who bring a personal, partisan agenda on social issues to their jobs as judges?" But that's not what they asked.

1. If Barack Obama tries to gut the USA PATRIOT Act and other important laws that promote the safety and security of all Americans, should Republicans in Congress fight back? Yes/No/Undecided

Here, you've got to play along with the vivid word "gut," and also concede that Obama would eliminate important laws to purposefully endanger Americans. "Undecided."

Anyway, it goes on like that. It's inherently dishonest, and statistically useless. I filled it out just the same, and filled out the comments section with a rip on this whole survey. You can do the same here: GOP Survey.

"Republican Road to Recovery" Temporarily Closed

When is a plan not a plan? The current Republican Party has earned a reputation as the "party of 'no'" and this press conference does nothing to allay that. The conference was called to introduce the "Republican Road to Recovery," but instead merely blasted the President some more, while promising details "next Wednesday." See you next Wednesday.

House Republicans fail to deliver on promise to offer budget alternative at press conference



Source: DailyKos