NYT/AP: GOP Leaving Half-trillion-dollar Clutter of Unfinished Spending Bills to Democrats

[DeepModem Mom]

GOP Leaving Spending Bills to Democrats
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: November 20, 2006

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republicans vacating the Capitol are dumping a big spring cleaning job on Democrats moving in. GOP leaders have opted to leave behind almost a half-trillion-dollar clutter of unfinished spending bills,

There's also no guarantee that Republicans will pass a multibillion-dollar measure to prevent a cut in fees to doctors treating Medicare patients.

The bulging workload that a Republican-led Congress was supposed to complete this year but is instead punting to 2007 promises to consume time and energy that Democrats had hoped to devote to their own agenda upon taking control of Congress in January for the first time in a dozen years.

The decision to drop so much unfinished work in Democrats' laps demonstrates both division within Republicans ranks and the difficulty in resolving so many knotty questions in so short a time. GOP leaders promised their House and Senate members the December lame duck session would last no more than two weeks, or until Dec. 16 at the latest....

***

Driving the decision to quit and go home rather than finish the remaining budget work is a determined effort by a group of conservative Republicans to prevent putting a GOP stamp on spending bills covering 13 Cabinet Departments -- and loaded with thousands of homestate projects derided as ''pork'' by critics.

Some Republicans on Capitol Hill would rather complete this year's budget work and have the GOP's imprint rather than a Democratic one on how federal agencies will be spending their money through next September....

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Cluttered-Congress.html

[CatWoman]

1. Democrats - The Hazel Party

[Wickerman]

2. and all too often the Hattie Carroll Party

slobbish pigs - too whimpy to even take a stand on their own pork, leave it to the Dems to clean up and be filleted for.

[trogdor]

3. How about a budget sans member earmarks?

How long would that take? Here's the defense budget. Surprise, it only covers national defense, and nothing else. What? You were expecting a new national monument commemorating the centennial of East Bumfuck, Nebraska? Sorry, I guess in all the commotion and the rush to get this thing done, we must have forgot. /snicker

[kainah]

4. outrageous

This strikes me as a great topic for a letter to the editor. Remind all those who aren't yet convinced that the repugs can't govern exactly how irresponsible and incompetent these fools have shown themselves to be.

Don't ever again put people who hate government in charge of it. And don't hire a plumber who hates plumbing to fix your toilet, either.

[NOLADEM]

5. That's ok...Our leadership simply should say this

'Repukes, anything you don't take care of responsibly before the end of your lame duck session will be handled by the Democrats thusly...Any program not properly funded will be funded in Feb by the Democrats by increasing capital gains and income taxes on the top 1% and by closing corporate loopholes. We will also pay for it by creating penalties for companies that offshore jobs. Finally, if we need some abortion clinic money, we will put a tax on Bibles. Ok, that last one was just to see if you were listening. But we are serious about the rest.'

[Javaman]

6. Just puts a glaring light upon the do nothing job the repukes did...

All this left over? what do you expect when they only meet 2 days a week.

[JudyM]

10. 'Zactly. I hope Pelosi ups the work week to 4 1/2 days, at least. n/t

[nealmhughes]

7. And they still can't fully fund Ryan White, making for catfights in the Senate

of southern senators (representing the new front line of HIV in the US) vs. the old front line of LA, SF, NYC, Miami...

So, top shelf services are to continue in NYC with only minor cutbacks while major southern areas are to continue to be shoestring store fronts.

I love the USA! The best government that money and TV can buy!

[warrens]

8. Typical Repuke behavior

We broke it, REAL GOOD, now try to fix it, SUCKER. When you don't, it will be all your fault, commies. Seriously, the Repukes should just be outlawed and a new party take its place. Lincoln, Goldwater, and the rest of the decent ones would puke if they saw this pack of scum using their name.

[NoodleyAppendage]

9. Hit them where it hurts...Dems should be calling them COWARDS.

Claims of cowardice are like holy water to vampires with the Repukes. I would argue that Dem leaders need to hit them hard with the label...COWARD and sore loser.

J

[w4rma]

11. Good. (nt)

[LeftCoast]

12. Repubs admitting their incompetency. Let the responsible party do it.

Hey, if they want to abdicate power early I say let them.

[krispos42]

13. "so short a time'??????????

The decision to drop so much unfinished work in Democrats' laps demonstrates both division within Republicans ranks and the difficulty in resolving so many knotty questions in so short a time.

Okay, dickwad Republicans, bring your eyeballs really close to the screen:

YOU SET THE SCHEDULE! YOU DECIDED TO ONLY WORK 96 DAYS THIS YEAR! YOU DECIDED TO THE SPEND THE LIMITED TIME YOU ALLOCATED FROM YOUR BUSY BUSY FUNDRAISING AGENDAS DEBATING FLAG BURNING INSTEAD OF CRITICAL BUDGETARY ISSUES! IF ANYTHING PROVES YOU SHOULD NOT BE IN OFFICE, THIS IS IT! NOT ONLY ARE YOU MORALLY BANKRUPT, CORRUPT, UNCARING, AND LAZY, YOU'RE ALSO INCOMPETENT ON A CRIMINAL LEVEL!

Is that clear enough?