Tempers Flare as New Rules Strain Senate

[SecularMotion]

Last edited Fri Dec 13, 2013, 09:52 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: NY Times

WASHINGTON — If there is a rock bottom in the frayed relationship between Senate Republicans and Democrats, it seemed uncomfortably close as the final days of 2013 on Capitol Hill degenerated into something like an endurance contest to see who could be the most spiteful.

As the sun rose on Friday, senators had worked through a second straight all-night session — called by Democrats as a way of retaliating for Republicans’ delaying tactics on confirmations. They held their first vote of the day at 7 a.m., confirming Deborah James to be secretary of the Air Force.

“I think it resembles fourth graders playing in a sandbox, and I’ll give the majority leader, Harry Reid, 99 percent of the responsibility for it,” Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee and usually one of the more reserved members, said Thursday.

“He’s going to have ‘The End of the Senate’ written on his tombstone,” Mr. Alexander complained.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/13/us/politics/senate-confirms-georgetown-law-professor-to-powerful-appeals-court.html?hp&_r=0

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Updated article as of Friday AM

[Demeter]

1. About time, Harry

actually, way past time. But, better late than never.

[4dsc]

2. Dear GOP, GFY

that is all.

[supercats]

3. You Go Harry!

Get it done! Punch those republicans in the teeth. Make it hurt!

[rhett o rick]

4. What took so long Harry? nm

[geek tragedy]

5. Reid's only as good as the 50th vote he can line up behind him. nt

[BlueToTheBone]

25. make that 49

Joe can vote to break a tie.

[geek tragedy]

26. I was counting his as one of the votes--nt

[chillfactor]

28. and so far Harry has been doing a good job of it! n/t

[Grateful for Hope]

29. Yes he has!

[rhett o rick]

56. I am assuming your defending Sen Reid because you are ok with the results of the last

5 years.

[geek tragedy]

57. No, I am making an observation--he is the Senate democratic leader, not

the Senate Democratic commander. If he doesn't have the votes, he doesn't have the votes.

[rhett o rick]

59. So the buck doesnt stop with him? Funny how that works. It's his responsibility to

get the votes. Oh course his heart has to be in it.

Sen Reid is popular here with those among us that love the status-quo. Love the NSA and Gen Clapper. Are ok with the fact that the lower classes are sinking into oblivion. They support Clinton the favorite of Wall Street.

We are in a class war and the conservative Democrats are on the wrong side.

[geek tragedy]

64. the world is a lot more complicated than you imagine it to be nt

[rhett o rick]

66. And you use that rationalization to justify what?

I agree that the world is more complicated than I can comprehend, but I volunteer at a foodbank and it's not very complicated there. I see the homeless that come to our severe weather shelter to get out of the freezing weather. I see families that are living in their cars. Special parking for single mothers that are kept secret for their protection. I see seniors that cant get to us because the bus routes have been cut. I see families that "couch serf", moving from one friends couch to a relative's. A lady was looking for food for her pets. Animals that were left with her by those that couldnt take them with them. I see the results of food stamp cuts. Children going to school hungry with one set of clothing. Some high school students living on the street use our bathroom to wash up and dress for school. We can only provide approx three days worth of food per family per month.

This has to change. This is America. And yet, people in here argue on the side of the status-quo oblivious to the fact that we have slipped into an oligarchy. People here supporting candidates that openly side with Wall Street and the Banksters.

We cant afford another 8 years of conservative rule. That's not complicated.

[geek tragedy]

67. values are simpler than issues, and issues are simpler than policies, and policies

are simpler than actually making things happen.

Reid can work all he wants to persuade, but Senators are stubborn, egotistical creatures.

Obama has been a much worse negotiator than Reid when it comes to dealing with Republicans--which is why Reid demanded that Joe Biden go play golf during the shutdown.

[rhett o rick]

68. But I it looks to me like the Democratic Senators elect Reid to represent their interests.

Therefore, it should follow that he reflects their interests or they would elect someone else.

[cap]

69. Congress will not be the vehicle for the change that you are looking for

only when people take to the streets will it change in the fundamental way you are seeking. The only problem is that I see it will be violent and I am not a fan of violence. Until we have massive protests, life will continue on as it has been.

Until then, I can applaud Harry Reid for doing what he can with what he has.

[mountain grammy]

6. We're with you, Harry! Judges for Christmas!

[kristopher]

7. The proper tool for the job...

...would be a cattle prod.

But on second thought I don't think cattle prods word very well on snakes.

[randome]

32. Well, we could TRY anyways, couldn't we?

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Treat your body like a machine. Your mind like a castle.[/center][/font][hr]

[irisblue]

51. the mental image of lamar alexander

and a cattle prod was sooooo good not gonna happen, but a midday brightener

[Tx4obama]

8. Of the EIGHT nominees on the senate schedule being debated SEVEN are female.

http://democrats.senate.gov/2013/12/12/schedule-for-thursday-december-12-2013/

[Lobo27]

9. So thats why the GoP is pissed, it all makes sense now!!

[Tx4obama]

11. As far as the judicial nominees, Obama has a pretty good record of nominating women and minorities

http://judicialnominations.org/statistics

[Lobo27]

15. Yes very kind to women, but he has been very good to minorities too.

Based on the top chart, really nice that he is doing that. As hispanic I love it, but I also love that he has included plenty of Asians it looks like. Making the court to what a America is a mixture of people.

[JDPriestly]

37. That reflects changes in the legal profession.

Large numbers of women are going in. The percentage of men has declined as a result. Law schools are full of women.

[daleanime]

45. Yes, that's guaranteed....

to cause most repugs to burst into flames.

[JimDandy]

49. Good for him! n/t

[freshwest]

21. OMG! I can smell the smoke coming out of the GOPhers ears already. Oh, nooooo! n/t

[silverweb]

10. GO, Harry!

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]It took a while, but you're on a roll... so don't stop now!

[jmowreader]

12. What the GOP was doing is a power grab

The eternal dicksizing contests are getting old, on both sides. The Repukes filibuster everything so the Democrats set the approval threshold to simple majority, and now the GOP is pissed.

If the shoe was on the other foot the GOP would scream Treason! - how dare they thwart the will of the majority!

[thelordofhell]

13. The shoe WAS on the other foot during the dumbass Presidency

And the Pubes insisted on Up and Down votes

[freshwest]

14. Good. Make them work the night shift. Millions of Americans do. Get them confirmed! n/t

[AlbertCat]

19. Make them work the night shift.

Eggzakly!

Why should they go on vacation if their work is not done? There'd be no need for all-nighters if the Repugs had done their job instead of spending twice as much energy NOT doing anything.

[pansypoo53219]

16. sweet.

[rurallib]

17. Go, Harry Go!

and a big fuck you for christmas, Mitchy. Hope the Senate is still in session on christmas.

[NBachers]

18. Push 'till it hurts, Harry

[truthisfreedom]

20. Kick their asses, Harry!

You grew a pair, now get it done!

[WillyT]

22. K & R !!!

[Warren Stupidity]

23. 90+ open federal judge seats. And the republicans intended to block every single one of them.

Oh the horrors.

[Cha]

24. A$$holes continually coming up with bigger and more worse ways to

be Bigger A$$HOLES.

thanks SM

[chillfactor]

27. Love it Harry!

keep the Senate working all the way through Christmas if that is what it takes!!!

[CFLDem]

30. Go Harry Go!

[SecularMotion]

31. Kick for update

[Rozlee]

33. Work for those socialized benefits and your tax-payer paid salary, dirtbags.

No 126 working days for you in 2013, Oliver Twist.

[yellowcanine]

34. Lamar Alexander's Tombstone Epitaph: "I came, I saw, I Whined."

[grantcart]

40. and I was never made a committee chairman like that idiot Darrell Issa.

[atreides1]

52. You forgot one

My Chief of Staff was probably watching child porn at the office!

[jwirr]

35. The rethugs are reduced to tempertantrums when they cannot have it all their way.

[Arkana]

36. Says the guy who employed a child predator.

Fuck you, Lamar Alexander.

[winstars]

38. +1,000,000,000 nt.

[QuestForSense]

53. It's not his fault!

He's so busy fucking over EVERYBODY in the State of Tennessee, how could he possibly be aware of a mere child predator right under his nose? Just another venerable prick who is way overdue for the heave-ho.

[snot]

39. The NYT's r-wing bias is simply infuriating.

How could they not consider this worth mention?

[NewJeffCT]

54. It's not just the filibusters, either

Even when making it past the filibuster, the only president in the last 30+ years whose nominees have waited over 6 months before being confirmed has been Obama.

So, Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush Jr all saw faster confirmations of their nominees.

But, to be fair, Clinton had about 60 nominees sunk because Republicans changed the senate procedural rules (google the "blue slip" policy under Bob Dole & Trent Lott.) Basically, BOTH senators from a state had to turn in a blue slip of paper before even brought up for a vote. (So, if a state had a DEM and a REP as senator, both would have to turn in a blue slip to Dole or Lott) Prior to Clinton being president, it was only 1 senator of the state that had to turn in a blue slip... so, only states where both senators were from an opposing party was there a risk of a nominee being tanked. So, no nominees from New York if Al D'Amato opposed you.

Everybody seems to forget that precedent, too, which is almost as bad as the filibuster.

[snot]

70. +1!

[watoos]

41. Back in the day,

Harry stood up to mobsters, people like Alexander are cupcakes to him.

[totodeinhere]

42. Lets eliminate the filibuster altogether and then see how much they whine. n/t

[Flatpicker]

43. I don't think

That making up for lost time by pulling a few extra shifts is spiteful.

How many of us working slobs have had to do so in the past. It's refreshing to hear that our elected reps have to do so too.

Maybe if you get all your work done before Christmas, there will be a hot cocoa gift box in it for you...

[AllyCat]

62. Exactly. Time to get some work done!

[Sunlei]

44. Rs owe 'the people' 24/7 work for the next several months untill they're voted out.

[uponit7771]

46. +1

[jimlup]

47. Their own stupid fault...

God damn fuckers are the whole reason this had to be done. Now the fuckers are going to have to suck it up. Go Dems!

[Jasana]

48. The "End of the Senate" belongs on Newt's tombstone...

He's the one that kickstarted all this hostility in the Senate to begin with.

[GeorgeGist]

60. Newt was in the House not Senate.

[Jasana]

61. Forgive my stupidity...

I have a hard time remembering details but I know that SOB is responsible for a lot of the mess in Congress. He was responsible for the first government shut down and he seemed not to give a flying fart for who it hurt.

[ancianita]

50. SO happy to read this news. Good to see the GOP do-nothing demagogues have to work.

If they refuse to budge on the judges, I hope he never lets them go home and makes them sit there 'til hell freezes over .

[Historic NY]

55. Lamar was the guy holding up the vote.........

hopefully he'll be gone next year,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[DallasNE]

58. Self-Inflicted Wound Sen. Alexander

Three times Sen. Reid had a handshake agreement with Sen. McConnell on reporting out nominees and three time Sen. McConnell welched on the agreement so the 99% needs to be assigned to Sen. McConnell. Sen. Reid simply ended the tyranny of the minority on executive appointments other than Supreme Court. The filibuster remains in place for most things so they will remain at record levels.

[BlueToTheBone]

63. Boo Hoo, Lamar. You're a right wing toadie. n/t

[freshwest]

65. Getting the job done that should have been done years ago is 'spiteful' now? Bullshit!

Lamar is trying to deflect attention off his pedophile pal this week. Wants his poutrage party in the news, instead of the 'GOP rising star' who got caught. LOL@GOP: