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16 Dec 2010 11:01

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Politics: Jim DeMint pulls the “it’s Christmas” card to block legislation

  • We shouldn’t be jamming a major arms control treaty up against Christmas; it’s sacrilegious and disrespectful. What’s going on here is just wrong. This is the most sacred holiday for Christians. They did the same thing last year – they kept everybody here until [Christmas Eve] to force something down everybody’s throat. I think Americans are sick of this.
  • Sen. Jim DeMint • Saying a pretty douchey thing about doing his freaking job. So, to clarify … the GOP stonewalls the Democrats in the Senate the entire year, forcing legislation and judicial nominees from getting passed or even debated, and Jim here is all upset because they’re trying to actually get stuff passed while they still have some control of Congress? Yeah, you’re not a jerk. Perhaps you would enjoy your Christmas holiday more if YOU DIDN’T ACT LIKE A JERK THE REST OF THE YEAR. Don’t like it? Deal with it. Seriously, this is the most pathetic reasoning we’ve seen for any political ploy this year. Mind you, it’s December. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Dec 2010 21:43

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Politics: Tom Coburn making big deal out of relatively small earmark issue

  • $2.2
    billion     the amount Senator Tom Coburn – the guy who held up the food safety bill – says Senate leaders are putting aside in earmarks; Politico dug these numbers out of his database
  • $1.1 
    trillion     the size of the total omnibus spending bill the Democrats are trying to push through; just pointing out for comparison’s sake, because it’s good to note source
  • » OK, Tom, you’ve made your point: Democratic and Republican leaders alike in the Senate are taking a lot of federal money and giving it to the states. But you’re trying to deceive us. Here’s why; see, a trillion dollars is a thousand billion by our last count. And Tom, who’s anti-earmark, is pointing out how wrong it is for Senate leaders to throw roughly two-thousandths of the entire spending bill back to the states, $2.2 billion which would get spent by the federal government otherwise. (The total amount, $8.3 billion, is still absurdly tiny in comparison to the entire spending bill.) To put it another way, Tommy Boy’s trying to make hay out of an issue that’s actually needle-sized. You know what the real problem is? The hay. Not the needle. (And in case you’re wondering, these earmarks were made earlier this year, before the current anti-earmark vibe hit.)
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Dec 2010 21:21

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Politics: Senate getting slower and slower at confirming judicial appointees

  • 39.8% confirmation rate of Barack Obama’s judicial nominees (lowest in history)
  • 76% George W. Bush’s judicial confirmation rate at this point in his presidency
  • 89% Bill Clinton’s judicial confirmation rate at the same point (more than twice Obama’s) source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Dec 2010 20:05

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U.S.: A bunch of news happened today; here’s our lame catchup attempt

  • first A Virginia judge ruled that a key provision of the health-care bill – forcing people to get insured – was unconstitutional. Great news for America.
  • then The Senate voted to allow the great Obama tax compromise of 2010, to reach a final vote. It was a very easy vote, too – 83 yes, 15 no.
  • now Richard Holbrooke, a top diplomat for numerous presidents (including Obama), just died after he tore his aorta a few days ago. Sad.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Dec 2010 19:40

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Politics: Bernie Sanders’ filibuster: The Senate gets interesting for a day

  • 516 number of minutes Bernie Sanders and others filibustered in the Senate today (from 10:24 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.)
  • no Sanders’ filibuster, fun as it was to watch, didn’t affect any votes from happening today source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

09 Dec 2010 21:43

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Politics, U.S.: The best one-sentence description of how DADT repeal failed

  • A procedural failsafe that’s theoretically meant to protect the rights of minorities was just used to restrict the rights of minorities.
  • Ezra Klein • Regarding Democrats’ failure to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell today in the Senate. Klein is, of course, referring to the filibuster, which allows 41/100 Senators to block any legislation from passing. Note: According to Klein, this quote (or the spirit of it) originated from his ace intern, Dylan Matthews.  source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Dec 2010 21:15

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Politics: Forced to make decisions, Congress instead sits on its hands

  • » So, look here: The Democrats don’t want to give an inch. The GOP doesn’t want to give a centimeter. The president just gave a couple of inches, and the Democrats didn’t like it. So now, we have two bills which could’ve passed today die on the vine in the Senate. Because both sides don’t want to find any common ground. Is it really that hard to compromise? Yes, yes it is.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

02 Dec 2010 10:54

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Politics: McCain stands firm on “don’t ask” … even after that study

  • I am not saying this law should never change. I am simply saying that it may be premature to make such a change at this time and in this manner, without further consideration of this report and further study of the issue by Congress.
  • Sen. John McCain • Speaking during a Senate hearing today about “don’t ask, don’t tell.” McCain claims that repealing the law now would be “premature,” and points to numbers about Army and Marine combat units not being quite ready for the change. This is despite the fact that the military’s highest-ups have all made the case that the policy should change as soon as possible. Hm. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Dec 2010 20:05

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Politics: Senate Democrats make moronic mistake with food-safety bill

  • The Senate knows the rule and should follow the rule and they should be cognizant of the rule. Nobody ought to be surprised by the rule. It is in the Constitution, and you have all been lectured and we have as well about reading the Constitution.
  • House Majority Whip (for the next month or so) Steny Hoyer • Scolding Senate Democrats for doing something really moronic. See, any revenue-raising bill has to originate in the House. Usually, the Senate gets around this by using a discarded, recombobulated House bill as a shell. But they didn’t do that this time with the food-safety bill they just passed, because they’re inept and want to let the GOP walk all over them like they’ve been doing the last two years. Heckuva job. (thanks fuckyeahcoolquotes) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Dec 2010 11:10

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Politics: Senate GOP: We’ll block all bills until we extend Bush tax cuts

  • 42 GOP senators will make Lame Duck Congress suck more source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink
 
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