This whole thing has been credited to Teddy Kennedy as one of the prime movers for health care reform throughout his 6 decades in politics. You think he was doing this for his own self-interest? That he didn't care about fixing the broken system and extending coverage, that it was a mere byproduct of perpetuating the Kennedy dynasty and consolidating partisan political power? You are too smart for that.
“There will be no cooperation for the rest of the year. They have poisoned the well in what they’ve done and how they’ve done it.” – U.S. Sen. John McCain. R-AZ There's been no cooperation since Obama became President. Are the Reps just not bother to show up at all from now on? I want to be a GOP elected official. You do nothing all day, you think that its an accomplishment, and half the country agrees with you.
Um, no. As far as I'm concerned, McCain peed on himself with that statement. If he hadn't blown himself up so many different times during the campaign, I probably would have voted for him. He should just retire.
I am a big McCain fan and have defended him, but I agree with you. That whiny statement is so far beneath him it's just sad. They passed a big bill -- get over it, John, and do your job.
It's kind of true. Who's advising them? This reeks more of Gingrich than turd blossom. Turd blossom is too wicked smart to be advocating this kind of childishness. It could really, really hurt them.
I think the GOP is in a post-HCR haze like the Dems were in a post Scott Brown haze. Right after the MA election, Dems were coming out of the woodwork making all sorts of bizarre statements about cancelling health care reform, doomsday, etc. No one was advising them, there was no coherent message, etc. I think that's where the GOP is right now.
It is certainly easier to just say all parties and politicians are corrupt. It ain't your father's GOP.
It is fun to see the GOP implode and go nuts but... ************** Frightening GOP Behavior Before dashing off to celebrate a hard fought victory in achieving health care reform, it is important to reflect on a deeply disturbing aspect of the debate that I believe spells danger ahead. A Republican talking point repeated ad nauseam during yesterday's debate pounded on the theme that they, and they alone, had the right to speak for "the will of the American people." This took different forms: "the American people have spoken," or "you (Democrats) are ignoring/imposing your views on the American people" or "the American people have sent a message," etc. All making the same point -- that the GOP speaks for the American people. Of course, the American people have spoken, and in November 2008 elected a Democratic White House and Senate and House of Representatives. But, elections and the workings of our democracy including the idea that the losing party respect the outcome of elections appear to be alien concepts to today's GOP. The idea that the minority party represents the "will of the people" (not some of the people, but "the people") is the seedling of a totalitarian mindset. In this mindset -- democracy doesn't matter, ideas are not to be discussed, and opposing views are not to respected. What matters is that they alone have truth, they alone are metaphysically connected to the "mind of the people" can interpret their will, and because they have truth and speak for the people, others represent a threat and must be silenced and stopped. This was a major concern last summer as violent demonstrators disrupted "town meetings" -- with angry chanting mobs claiming to represent the "will of the people" arrayed against the elected Congresspeople and their constituents who had freely assembled to discuss issues. The mobs didn't come to discuss or even debate. They were mobilized to disrupt discussion and silence debate. Listening to the rhetorical excesses of last summer's demonstrators, or those who mobilized to chant slurs at Democrats over the weekend, or to the radio and TV personalities who incite with hate and fear ("that we are losing our country"), or the GOP Congressional leadership who charge much the same and incite in similar ways -- I hear echoes of last century's history. The behavior fits a frightening pattern and ought to be of concern. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-zogby/frightening-gop-behavior_b_508969.html
It's quite perturbing that this sort of attitude is actually being stated publically without considerable voter animosity. Oh wait, no its not - this is America. I was taken aback in Frum's diagnosis of republican failure in this process that he specifically pointed out that "politicians are not supposed to be in the business of getting elected, they're in the business of erecting policy". That to me is exactly why the republicans have lost me: they have no concrete policies any more - they're simply reactionaries - and that's a terrible way to govern.
In addition to Udall's committee hearing on forests, Repubs also shut down committee work on Homeland Security and Government Transparency yesterday. <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y-YxN_HqYxc&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y-YxN_HqYxc&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="385"></embed></object> It looks like they will continue this childishness all week at least.
What are these guys, 7? If you did this in my office you'd be chastised, fired, and then made fun of repeatedly. And these guys run* the ****ing country? Christ. *formerly ran, lol
Jesus, republicans aren’t even trying anymore. I wonder if they'll do something stupid like proposing the Public Option as an amendment, just to make Democrats vote against it. Unless Democrats call their bluff and vote for the amendment and send it back to the house for another vote (with the PO amendment inserted)
What a disaster this is turning into for Congressional Republicans. They are literally cutting off their nose to spite their faces. They assume the electorate is too stupid to realize that they're doing, I cannot imagine an independent voter looking at this and saying "yeah, these seem like the kind of people I want running my country".
TPM: top 10 most ridiculous amendments offered by republican reconciliation temper tantrum: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/...ulous-gop-proposed-health-care-amendments.php Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK): To reduce the cost of providing federally funded prescription drugs by eliminating fraudulent payments and prohibiting coverage of Viagra for child molesters and rapists for drugs intended to induce abortion. Vitter: Prohibiting use of funds to fund the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). (Adding to the ridculousness, ACORN folded just this week.) Coburn: To require that each new bureaucrat added to any department or agency of the Federal Government for the purpose of implementing the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act be offset by a reduction of 1 existing bureaucrat at such department or agency. Sen. David Vitter (D-LA): To repeal the government takeover of health care. Coburn: To revoke the powers given the Secretary of Health and Human Services under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Coburn: To help the President keep his promise that Americans who like the health care coverage they have now can keep it. Coburn: To repeal the new $375 million program directing the very same Federal Government that has amassed a $12 trillion debt to lecture Americans about financial responsibility. Sen. Bob Bennett (R-UT): To protect the democratic process and the right of the people of the District of Columbia to define marriage. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) To make sure the President, Cabinet Members, all White House senior staff and Congressional Committee and Leadership staff are purchasing health insurance through the health insurance exchanges established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Coburn: To require all Members of Congress to read a bill prior to casting on a vote on the bill.
FBI Investigating Cut Gas Line At Home Of Dem Rep's Brother After a tea party organizer published the address of the brother of Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA) in a blog post urging anti-health reform activists to "drop by," someone cut a propane gas line at the house, Politico is reporting. Now the FBI is investigating what happened at the home near Charlottesville, according to Politico. The development comes on the heels of at least five instances of vandalism -- mainly in the form of smashed doors and windows -- at Democratic offices around the country in the days around the House health care vote Sunday night. In the Periello case, an activist named Mike Troxel of the Lynchburg Tea Party wrote a blog post telling activists to add a "personal touch" to their anger at Periello -- who voted yes on the health care bill -- by going to his house. But Troxel mistakenly posted the address of Periello's brother.
