Dems had 60 votes in the Senate for only a few weeks.
Franken was seated in July 2009, Byrd and Kennedy were dying and unable to vote then Brown replaced Kennedy in a special election.
To be a Republican, apparently.
Well, that is clearly not his fault, there are no Republicans in Kenya.
Watch what Republicans do with only 51 seats. Watch and learn.
Christ Jesus, what? We gonna invade Belgium?
No, Iran.
No, you’re going to see a) how filibusters are broken by a determined majority, and b) how deals are made with the minority.
And most importantly, you’ll see the minority have the ability to offer amendments, which makes the minority have a little bit better will towards the majority. Reid’s decision to disallow amendments to bills, his “My way or the highway” approach, predictably alienated the opposition.
Ok, so the Republicans set post-war records for obstructionism and the Democrat’s 111th Congress was the most productive in post-war history.
Personally, I’d prefer a single legislature that’s always or usually in sync with the Executive branch. That would provide accountability. Then it would be up to the Republicans to control their Tea Party and the Democrats to keep their left end restrained. And the American people could give the government a straight up or down vote every 4 years. In practice these sorts of systems tend to lend themselves to internal moderation.
In other words, under most democratic systems the sort of behavior displayed by the Republican opposition would hardly merit notice. The problem is that our constitution is designed for a deliberative process and is vulnerable to legislative sabotage. My worry is that the Republicans have basically cracked the code.
I have seen absolutely no evidence that the Republicans in Congress are willing to compromise in any manner with their ‘blood-enemies’ across the aisle. I don’t see that changing regardless of who wins the presidential race. And that is, in my not so humble opinion, a bad thing for our nation. As Mr. Clinton pointed out so well this evening, nothing can be done when you demonize the ‘other side’.
This isn’t a football game. It is the future of the Republic.
It is time for the adults to remember that and act upon the shared ideals that made this a truly great nation.
The rest can continue to cast puerile aspersions upon one another.
Jesus, you make it sound like the Republicans are asking for a divorce on the grounds of mental cruelty. Work their little fingers to the bone, trying to make a nice home for Obama, and he comes home all lickered up and mean, starts slapping them around…
Oscar Wilde commented on the release of a Dickens’ bucket of bathos, *The Old Curiosity Shop *:
There’s no code. Republicans tried the same thing with Bill Clinton and it didn’t work. Obstruction can only be done if the opposition need not fear the political consequences. Clinton made them pay dearly and always came out looking like the more reasonable guy. Obama has failed to do that. the way to stop Republicans from obstructing is to beat them. Simple as that. Obama did do it on the payroll tax cut and if he plays his cards right he can do it on the Bush tax cuts. Those are the easy ones.
But I do find it amusing that Republicans are always in charge. Makes me not really care as much about elections, since Democrats usually just cede control to the GOP even when they are in the minority.
OMG seems to have fled the thread. C’mon OMG, you made a boo-boo. It’s ok, you’re human. Everyone makes mistakes.
So you’re now telling us that yes, your guys have been obstructionists after all? Quite a change in public position for you there, and in the right direction, too.
Well, yes, in the sense that a single screaming, kicking child can make an entire family leave the restaurant. But at some point they, and their supporters, do have to grow up and reflect on what that kind of being “in charge” gains for the country or themselves.
Eventually that screaming, kicking child grows up a little. When can we expect that from your guys? When their *supporters *grow up a little instead of loyally defending screaming and kicking, perhaps? :dubious:
I haven’t said the GOP isn’t obstructing, so much as it’s not an excuse. And they aren’t obstructing everything, only the stupid things. Well, and his appointees, which they shouldn’t be doing.
So, why, then? If you dismiss any notion that the Republicans are obstructive, then why that? That’s like saying the water isn’t hot, except for the part that is boiling. You seem eager to imply that their response to nominations is the exception, when in truth, it is the rule, carried to its illogical extreme.
I just dismiss the notion that GOP obstruction is the reason for Obama’s poor performance, if we assume poor performance. If we don’t, there’s no issue, since Obama’s doing fine.
What you have there is similar to logic, in the sense that a blend of motor oil and lard, cut into sticks, is similar to butter.
“The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.”
Mitch McConnell
That’s what every opposition wants to achieve. What they can get away with politically is another matter entirely. The GOP gets away with it and if they can, they should.
Democrats won’t be able to obstruct Romney. That’s tough cookies. They couldn’t stop Bush either. They were scaredy cats.
So failure to blindly obstruct is a sign of weaknessto you? Not adulthood?
That’s what it’s really come to lately, isn’t it?