Reid blocks Senate vote on Obama's deficit-reduction plan

[cal04]

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday offered an amendment to force a vote on President Obama’s deficit-reduction plan, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was having none of it.

“Last week Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner brought up a proposal that was so unserious,” McConnell said on the floor, “I would like to see if my Democratic friends would like to support it.”

(snip)
Reid, however, objected to McConnell’s suggestion, saying the Russian trade bill, H.R. 6156, is about job creation, not political stunts from Republicans.

“The purpose of this bill is to protect American jobs,” Reid said. “Are we going to get serious here and legislate or is this more of the political stunts that the Republican leader is going to pull today?”

http://thehill.com/video/senate/271255-mcconnell-calls-for-vote-on-obamas-ridiculous-deficit-reduction-plan


Harry Reid Questions GOP's Rationality On Fiscal Cliff After Disability Treaty Fails
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/05/harry-reid-fiscal-cliff-gop_n_2244928.html?1354726579&utm_hp_ref=politics

The failure of Republicans to ratify a treaty on disabilities raises questions about their rationality in fiscal cliff negotiations, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid argued Wednesday.

Republicans opposed ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities Tuesday, based on the debunked grounds that it threatens United States sovereignty and the rights of homeschoolers.

"Consider yesterday's failure, the disabilities convention, at the hands of the Tea Party," Reid said on the Senate floor. "This shouldn't have been a battle, but extreme elements of the Republican Party picked a fight where there was nothing to fight about."

(looks like Harry Reid had lots to say today)

[DJ13]

1. Wait...

.......there's a Russian trade bill?!

[democrattotheend]

2. Why did he do that?

Do the Democrats not have the votes for Obama's plan? Or is it because they want to use the bill the Senate already passed?

[Chan790]

3. Any number of reasons...

the most-likely is that both sides know that the GOP is folding like a cheap lawn-chair and Sen. Turtle's going to have to accept a way worse deal than the President's offer. So he grabs for the best he's going to get while the getting's good.