Comments on: For Some in the GOP, Party Trumps Country

By: Kim Ritter

Kim Ritter — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 05:42:51 +0000

Maybe the GOP will be come a permanent minority, instead of the permanent majority party. By moving to the right after the midterms (about 10 moderates in the House lost their seats), they will fail to appeal to moderates and independents, who will still be blaming them for Iraq and giving carte blanche to an incompetent president for 3 1/2 years.

They are getting a lot of advice from Tom Delay-who moved to the DC area, so count on more scummy tactics to come. A lot of what they did to win in the short run turned off a lot of people in the long run. Many who had never voted for a Democrat before crossed over this year. They will have an uphill climb in ’08. Ain’t democracy grand???

By: Krous

Krous — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 22:07:00 +0000

Elrod

Well the Democrats were on C-Span this morning calling the repubs out on that accusation. The republicans declined to defend themselves for their actions. Did not happen in 1994 Elrod. The Democrats set up the republicans quite well as they left.

However the republicans are indeed tearing up the tracks as they leave in an apparent FU to the American voter. Well, FU too republican party.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 20:15:32 +0000

That’s the worldwide figure.

Yes. It’s much better in the United States, where the top 1% hold 32.7% of the wealth and the top 5% hold the top 57.7% of the wealth. The bottom 50% hold an amazing 2.8% of the wealth. (Numbers as of 2001. Given trends over the past 2 decades, wealth is likely even more concentrated now.)

By: C.Prez

C.Prez — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 16:36:25 +0000

50+% of the wealth is concentrated in the top 2% of the population. How is the working stiff supposed to compete with THAT?

That’s the worldwide figure. To make the top 2%, your assets less liabilities only need to total about $6700 to make you a part of that top 2%

By: Ryan

Ryan — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 15:58:15 +0000

Paul, just what I was thinking. It’s like a kid saying “Timmy did it first!” It’s about time they grow up and act like adults. Instead of trying to score political points, they should try doing their jobs. Maybe if they focused on doing their jobs in the first place, their constituents wouldn’t be upset enough with them to vote them out in the first place.

This goes for Democrats, too. If they get voted out in 2008 and dump things on Republicans, I’ll be saying the same thing of them. At some point, we need real adults who know how to act like adults running this country.

By: Paul in Austin

Paul in Austin — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 15:47:17 +0000

I accept that it is somewhat standard operating procedure for the outgoing party to dump controversal crap and unfinished business on the incoming party.

But I don’t think it is right. It believe that they have duty and made a committment to represent their constituents by working as hard as they can to make even incremental improvement in our quality of life.

By: Kim Ritter

Kim Ritter — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 14:33:44 +0000

I agree with Ryan, also agree with those who state they can communicate with constituents by e-mail or 1-800#’s, mass mailings, etc while in Washington. Aren’t their low approval ratings in the polls due to a poor work ethic, the view that they are largely out-of-touch with the lives of average Americans, and their tendency to put their partisanship ahead of what’s best for the country????

By: Ryan

Ryan — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 14:09:38 +0000

As I stated elsewhere, they need 4 day weekends to be in touch with the constituents. Then, they need an endless cycle of long recesses to be in touch with the constituents because they can’t be in touch with them when Congress in session.

I agree that returning to the home district is a big part of the job. So is being in Washington to draft, discuss, review, and vote on legislation. You can’t have it both ways. Either work a full week and take the frequent long recesses or work a short week and cut back on the recesses.

By: Kim Ritter

Kim Ritter — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 03:24:15 +0000

PatHMV- Maybe they do constituent work at home—-but then it would seem that they would have been more in touch with the voters, wouldn’t it? That was one of the biggest complaints of the last election. They ducked the big issues-like the budget, ethics legislation, immigration, and a war that was spiraling out of control, in order to pass- what was it— right before the election? Oh, a bill to ban the sale of horsemeat abroad. Now I’m an animal lover, but I just don’t think anyone believed they were working all that hard between Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings.

By: Elrod

Elrod — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 03:22:17 +0000

I think Tully is largely right; outgoing majorities always do this sort of thing.

By: Paul in Austin

Paul in Austin — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 03:16:42 +0000

And the up side–not passing the bills that were waiting eliminates over ten thousand pork earmarks. That’s a lot of bad baggage to leave behind. No wonder Robert Byrd is so sad!

Tully, I wonder if now the Democrats can lay in their own earmarks but for a lower total amount and claim credit for reducing the GOP pork fest?

By: vwcat

vwcat — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 02:38:21 +0000

the current crop of the gop never cared about the country or the people. they have been about disruption, personal greed and partisanship.
They are a disgrace and I hope in 10 years they look back and feel proud of themselves as no one else will be.

By: Krous

Krous — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 02:32:28 +0000

Mike P

lol, I remember that. Like a bunch of children these neo-cons have proven to be. Mr.Gandelman may have the right idea with this “moderate togetherness” thing, but its really difficult considering the past fifteen years of hate attacks from the right.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 01:35:46 +0000

Do you know how long it took to bring back decency to the Whitehouse, Mike P.? I’ll tell you: 2 weeks, and about 6 semi trailers. They dropped it at the loading dock, but no one seems to have seen it since because all of the staffers were busy looking for non-missing ‘W’ keys. It may now be in that big government warehouse depicted in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.

By: Mike P.

Mike P. — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 01:29:43 +0000

I can’t help but recall the outrage, sheer outrage! Republicans voiced when the Clintons were accused of “destroying” the White House on their way out of office. Doing terrible things to America like removing the Ws from computer keyboards – all of which was later acknowledged to be bullsh**, of course.

Where’s the outrage from the 101st Keyboarders now?

By: Tully

Tully — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 01:11:30 +0000

And the up side–not passing the bills that were waiting eliminates over ten thousand pork earmarks. That’s a lot of bad baggage to leave behind. No wonder Robert Byrd is so sad!

By: Tully

Tully — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:45:57 +0000

If that’s true, I’ve never seen it before. Tully- do you have any examples to back up your claim?

1994 and 2000. Both left big chunks of unfinished business on the table after a balance of power shift in one or both houses. That’s just recent. It also happened in 1970, 1980, and 1982. In one of those the change of power was in the White House, in the other two it was an incumbent (Dem) majority holding back bills they didn’t want the opposition President to get credit for–or get vetoed before they could lobby the new opposition members for the support needed to overcome their own internal party opposition. If you read the article closely you’ll see that’s a big factor this time as well.

IOW, it’s a staple of Congress in almost any contentious environment, which is as often as not. Some of the very worst of it was in 1942 and 1944, where the GOP and the Southern Democrats united to block huge chunks of Roosevelt’s non-war agenda. They left more on the table those sessions than vegans do at a barbecue cookoff.

No, it’s not pretty. But it’s hardly unique.

By: superdestroyer

superdestroyer — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:27:28 +0000

The Wall Street Journal article was nonsense. The Republicans are not cutting budgets. The FY 2007 budget is just postponed until January. The real issue is that the Democrats under Pelosi will not be able to grandstand and pass feel good legislation but instead will have to do what the Constitution says it will do and pass budgets.

I wonder if next October that a Democratic Controlled Congress will have al of its budget bills passed and signed off or will the federal government be functioning under another round of continuing resolutions.

By: Blue Neponset

Blue Neponset — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:25:58 +0000

Excellent comment from Nancy Pelosi about this:

“It’s a demonstration of the irresponsibility of Republicans that they would leave this country with this mess,” said the next House speaker, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.). “But we won, we will deal with it.”

By: Krous

Krous — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:21:56 +0000

Elrod

I have taken time to look at a lot of that pork. What I found was Democrats funding police anti-gang units, school development and other such useful services. With republicans I find things like pig farming foundations with empty buildings, the famous bridge to no-where and general wasteful crap. Not even a single veterans concern of note funded buy the BIG patriot republican party. Granted there are some Democrat boondoggles, but by comparison to the republicans, not very damn many. The republicans often point out a visceral Democrat attitude toward them. Its no wonder.