Clean up on Aisle 111
Posted: December 1, 2010 Filed under: Elections, legislation, Team Obama | Tags: congressional gridlock, Republicans, tax cuts for the wealthy 61 CommentsThe results of the ‘Slurpee Summit’ couldn’t be more clear. Republicans have no intention of cooperating with anything
that the President will put forward. Obama has two choices. Be the Democrat he was elected to be or switch parties. Gridlock is not on the horizon. It’s been here and will only worsen. Obama hasn’t even been able to get the senators from Maine to break away from their right wing colleagues on important issues in the past. How will this improve with worse ones on their way in? Incoming Republican Senators like Rand Paul from Kentucky and Mark Kirk from Illinois are giving interviews and they aren’t pretty.
Steven Benen’s Political Animal at The Washington Monthly analyzes a recent AP item from last night that was released about the time we started our discussion on the Slurpee Summit. Benen says this.
ALL 42 SENATE REPUBLICANS ANNOUNCE HOSTAGE PLAN…. The AP had an item late last night, noting that Senate Republicans were circulating a letter, “quietly collecting signatures” on a plan to “block action on virtually all Democratic-backed legislation unrelated to tax cuts and government spending.”
This morning, the Senate GOP leadership unveiled their letter — signed by literally all 42 members of the Republican caucus — declaring their intention to hold the chamber hostage until the tax policy debate is resolved.
“[W]e write to inform you that we will not agree to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to any legislative item until the Senate has acted to fund the government and we have prevented the tax increase that is currently awaiting all American taxpayers. With little time left in this Congressional session, legislative scheduling should be focused on these critical priorities. While there are other items that might ultimately be worthy of the Senate’s attention, we cannot agree to prioritize any matters above the critical issues of funding the government and preventing a job-killing tax hike.”
In practical terms, this means that the Senate Republican caucus will join arms and kill literally every piece of legislation in the lame-duck session — New START, funding U.S. troops, the DREAM Act, etc. — until the government is fully funded and they’re satisfied with the outcome of the debate on tax policy.
What on earth does that last sentence imply? (I bolded it.) Already, the fall out is being felt in the discussion over DADT which Secretary Gates asked Congress to repeal. Are the Republicans really ready to hold the military hostage over taxes to the uber-Wealthy? It sure seems that way.
Just hours after Democrats and Republicans agreed to bargain on tax cuts, and fewer hours still after Defense Secretary Robert Gates implored Congress to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell this year, word leaked that Republicans aren’t really interested in any of it — a major repudiation of Gates’ authority.
All of this hostility began just hours after the President announced that he was ‘encouraged’ by meeting with House leaders on both sides. It included this:
“Today we had the beginning of a new dialogue that I hope — and I’m sure most Americans hope — will help break through the noise and produce real gains,” the president said after a two-hour session that included Democratic Congressional leaders as well. “And as we all agreed, that should begin today because there’s some things we need to get done in the weeks before Congress leaves town for the holidays.”
Read the Republicans’ letter to Henry Reid here and see if you can find any hint of reality in the statement above.
David Leonhardt at the NYT believes that Democrats have been given next to no options now.
Democrats have left themselves in a tough spot on the Bush tax cuts. After delaying the issue until after the election and then being trounced in that election, they find themselves with little leverage.
If they cannot come up with a plan that can win 60 votes in the Senate, which means at least two Republican votes, Republicans can filibuster any bill. All of the tax cuts would then expire on Dec. 31. When the new Republican House majority arrives in January, it will be able to make its first order of business a retroactive tax cut — forcing President Obama and Senate Democrats to choose between a purely Republican plan and an across-the-board tax increase.
So the big question is whether Democratic leaders can come up with any compromise that centrist Democrats and a couple of Republican senators — Scott Brown, who represents liberal Massachusetts? George Voinovich of Ohio, who is retiring? — are willing to accept.
“My Republican colleagues…know that the true effect of this letter is to prevent the Senate from acting on many important issues that have bipartisan support. With this letter, they have simply put in writing the political strategy that the Republicans pursued this entire Congress: Namely, obstruct, delay action on critical matters, and then blame the Democrats for not addressing the needs of American people. Very cynical, but very obvious. Very transparent.”
I’d say it’s more than that Harry. It’s a drop dead letter if there ever was one.
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Just to show you how bad things have gotten: John Cole, yes that John Cole had a somewhat similar reaction.
This is nothing new. I just think Obama is not willing to learn. The reason Dems didn’t come out in drove to vote in the midterm was simply due to the fact that Obama didn’t give them anything to fight for.
Obama doesn’t seem to fight for anything but Obama being elected to higher office. To paraphrase a quote we use down here for Bobby Jindal, Barack is for Barack.
“Obama doesn’t seem to fight for anything but Obama being elected to higher office”
that’s the insanity of this though. If you don’t EVER govern, that might interfere with getting (re)elected. Or not. With a GOP slate as noxious as the one that seems to be at play, O thinks he can skate by.
It appears to be easier to hide in a legislative body if you can vote present all the time or be on the campaign trail. My father always thinks it’s better to put governors into the presidency these days because you can see how badly or how well they’ve handled executive office.
I think there’s something more worrisome, and I’m probably late to this: Maybe deep down, Obama is convinced that Republicans have the better ideas. I know Krugman has been decrying that attitude since the primaries and was vilified by many people on the (cough…cough) Left.
Obama usually compromises with Righwingers BEFORE even getting to the negotiation table.
Oh I def. think O is a closet conservative.
Well, he did say that during the campaign. He praised Reagan as a transformational president. He said that Social Security needed fixing.
In his book, Obama specifically praised Reagan for cutting social services. He made it clear that he favored privatization about just about everything. He strongly hinted that he was anti-abortion.
I just don’t see how anyone could have missed the Republican talking points. They were loud and clear.
bb @ 4:28
yes, he told people who he was–people didn’t want to listen. I like to point to that Taibbi piece in ’08 where he says suddenly he “didn’t care” anymore, he just wanted to find out if Obama could be the real deal (I’m paraphrasing a bit).
I wonder if it’s sunk in to him yet, how serious the voters are about rejecting the path he’s taking.
Of course, he’s going to turn in the wrong direction, but at least he’ll be following his heart of hearts *eyeroll*
I think Wonk was right…”We are so f’d.”
Yup, and I don’t think there’s any one left in the white house with fight in them after Axelrove goes back to Chicago. It’ll be a complete cave-in if Congress doesn’t step up.
Isn’t David Plouffe replacing Axelrod in the WH ? At least he’s coming back as an advisor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Plouffe
Imo, he was the brains behind the political machine more than Axelrod and he is more aggressive and odious than Axelrod. I think if anyone could fire up the place over there it’s Plouffe. I guess it depends if POTUS is willing to listen to him. If not, yup, cave-ins to the party of Scrooge will be king.
As much as I detest the Obamaphile team, political and policy, I want him to do the right thing and stand up for all of us peons against the GOP and the Conservdems and if Plouffe can light a fire under him, I’m all for Plouffe.
yes, but is he really some one that can fight for democratic legislation? Isn’t he just basically a campaign geek?
Oh, sure, but so was Axelrod, that’s my understanding. I could be wrong, but I think campaign managers are not always just campaign geeks, many of them are also passionate about the issues like Axelrod. And, I’ve heard Plouffe speak about issues before so I guess I’m not counting him out.
Weather or not he can do the trick, I don’t know, but if anyone can it’s him, I think.
Outside of Plouffe, I don’t see anyone left in the WH part of the Obamaphile team who can fire him up. Not even Valerie Jarrett who has not been a very effective advisor to him as far as I can see.
How about Michele? I think she’s one of the few people he not only listens to but is afraid of (perhaps afraid is too strong a word but he does seem to tow the line for her. I just don’t know how much of a policy wonk she is and/or if she’s passionate enough about the issues to fight for what she believes to him. But, if that was the case, we would have seen this before with Healthcare, or getting us out of the wars, etc. She either agrees with him and his choices or disagrees but contrary to what I believe has no sway with him or she doesn’t care at all about these things.
Maybe if his mother were alive, she could have made a good adviser and inspired him to do the right thing. She always seemed to be a very liberal thinking political women. We will never know.
Dak, I’m trying to cleve onto something that makes him and the Dems come alive and behave like Clinton Dems and Dems of old. Who fight/fought for what they believe(d) in and don’t/didn’t slink away like a puppy waiting to be petted.
Where are the Bela Abzug’s? Or, Father Drinan’s (who actually voted for Roe v Wade). Or, Barbara Jordan? Fighters and giants all of them and they are all gone.
That’s why many of us extend all of dreams our wishes Hillary’s way because like they were, she’s a tireless fighter for being a leader who wants to make people’s lives better and that’s what these people are supposed to do.
And, I keep coming back to my pet peeve and old chestnut and that is campaign finance reform which makes most pols into simpering go alongs. Obama is so tied up in special interests it’s daunting. Aside from his being puppy whipped by the party of Scrooge, there is also that large, looming issue of who he’s beholden to. And, it ain’t us.
I may be grasping at straws with Plouffe but he’s all I got.
We had this conversation last night. Besides Hillary and Michelle, who has brass ones? Certainly not Biden!!!
I think so, Dak.
I mean I think Dak is right that Plouffe is mainly a campaign geek.
(nice blog, good writers/commenters, not-so-great layout)
“Certainly not Biden!!!”
Biden can’t even handle the Obama/Clinton 2012 chatter.
Pilgrim @ 7:00 pm: Nesting often gets tricky on different wordpress layouts. That’s why I’ve been using the commenter’s name @ whatever time, to make sure people know where my response is going on here.
That’s a good idea, Wonk.
Yup, good idea, Wonk.
Dak and Pilgrim
You guys could be right. Like I mentioned, Plouffe is all I’ve got at this point. I’m desperate.
Biden? %@#$##@#@@@$!!!!!!!!! To paraphrase the great and wonderful and brill Ann Richards (may she RIP, how I wish she were alive) when she gave the keynote address at the ’88 Dem Convention:
Just substitute Joe for George and silver for brass and voila! LOL
Here is the Anne’s original (speaking about George H. W. Bush):
“Poor George, He can’t help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.” –Ann Richards
LMAO. How I miss her.
Here is a short clip from that convention. My comments about what she said, don’t do her any justice. You have to listen it her to get the full impact. btw, this is the only short clip I could find of her speech so excuse the short intro by the miserable misogynist KO.
geez, the video stretched the page. If this is a problem, please delete. Using the magic of TinyUrl, here is a shortened link to that video.
http://tinyurl.com/23gt4tw
Apologies.
In keeping with Pilgrim’s train of thought, what would also be grand is a Preview window, giving commenters the opportunity of editing before posting. I don’t know if that is an option in wordpress.
Thanks, newdealdem, for the ann richards piece. I liked her immensely.
Now there’s a woman I might put in a class with Hillary.
Pilgrim @ 8:19: 🙂
I have had the Senate debates on all day via C-Span and if there was any doubt what these f*ckers have up their sleeves for the next session where they will more than likely dominate, one only needs to listen to an hour or so to judge that it won’t be in helping the public at large.
It is a largely immoral debate to go to bat for the wealthiest people against those who are suffering and looking to government to offer a measure of aid.
Watching this today is enough to make me sick to my stomach.
You’re braver than me. I’m not sure I want to watch it. This election just sent them the completely wrong message.
Thanks for stomaching that so we didn’t have to Pat. Sigh.
ditto. I can’t stand listening to these people most of the time any more.
I don’t know if any one has read Ted Strickland’s words up at HuffPo today but it’s very interesting.
The GOP has succeeded in making “elitism” as evil a word as “liberal”. Truth is many elites are sitting right here on this blog. Highly educated, well informed, creative, reasoned, willing to consider the other side of an argument, and capable of making their points by not talking over the heads of those who look to their expertise for answers.
The anti intellectual is unable to compete in this arena so the only tactic available is to present the elite as someone bordering the likeness of Thurstson Howell the Third.
There is no shame in being educated but that side has made it into an almost “mortal sin” to be viewed in that light. Obama, although an elitist, is having difficulty relating to that label hence his willingness to support and defend what the other side proposes.
Thus the appeal of so many of those candidates from the Tea Party. Very few could actually carry the label of “elitist” as it required the same elements that those of you who post here who are by far more capable of critical thinking.
I may not be a member of the “elite” in the same respect but I can fully appreciate what is offered here.
That’s one of my pet peeves. There’s snobs and then there are people that excel at things. There’s a distinct difference.
Strickland: “Democrats suffer from an “intellectual elitism” that prevents them from adopting the type of populist tone to relate to voters”
Give me a break. Maybe it’s because Obama just doesn’t care about voters (and isn’t really a Dem). Funny how the Big Dawg and Hill managed to get through to voters, isn’t it?
http://www.harpers.org/archive/2009/07/0082562 “Obama’s failure would be unthinkable. And yet the best indications now are that he will fail, because he will be unable—indeed he will refuse—to seize the radical moment at hand”.
“Every instinct the president has honed, every voice he hears in Washington, every inclination of our political culture urges incrementalism, urges deliberation, if any significant change is to be brought about. The trouble is that we are at one of those rare moments in history when the radical becomes pragmatic, when deliberation and compromise foster disaster. The question is not what can be done but what must be done”. This part of that article is Cassandra. And just so everyone knows how I feel about Obama, I can’t listen, look, at him and have gotten to the point of hearing a rumor about him makes me physically ill. Between the crazy republicans and the now far right democrats I can say we are F*cked. Period again.
I just love Harpers. And that’s a great essay on the mindset that got us here.
I’ve always loved Harper’s, too Dak. Instead of listening to The Cat Food Comedy duo of Erskine & Alan; The third class vaudeville act that just wasn’t that damn funny. I streamed the senate banking hearing. Let’s just say again, We’re F*cked.
Are there any Clinton Democrats that didn’t see this coming? How sad is it that we have a caricature of a fighter for the people in the Oval? How unfortunate for us all. Ah well, maybe his 11 dimensional chess game is in full effect and I’m just not bright enough to see it…
Asshat.
Hillary 2012
From my experience of you , there is nothing wrong with your thought process. You saw it coming too. Now we’re stuck. What do we do?
Therein lies the question of these times. Now what do we do?
I wish I had an answer. In the meantime, I guess we keep aware, keep fighting, keep going, keep speaking truth to power.
It seems to be coming down to either revolution, third party, or…or…god, I just don’t know anymore!
I’m not a radical and I’m afraid of severe physical pain, so I wouldn’t be of any help in a Revolution.
I’m an atheist, so god is not the answer.
That leaves me with Third Party and that’s pretty much where you’ll find me if that was a viable choice right now.
I used to belong to the Liberal Party in NY. When I cast my first ever vote, that was the party I registered for not the Dems. The Dems were the next best thing so I joined them when the Liberal Party disbanded years ago when the Dem party did have brass ones to spare.
I think many of us feel as you do, Thursday’s Child, lost.
Here’s your Evangelical Christian Compassion in action!!!
Unemployment in my state doesn’t even cover my monthly house payment and that’s way below what rent is going for these days. These idiots are high on greed.
What world does this guy live in? What empirical evidence? Where’s the studies? Who is defining ‘real job’, ‘dignity’ and ‘self support’ and what are those definitions?
Sheez. To steal a line from Rock here…
Asshats.
“Evangelical Christian compassion in action.” Yep.
Good for Eliot Spitzer. He has a heart, and a head.
And as you point out, Dak, the amount of unemployment benefits…I can’t conceive how a family can survive even on that, and the Christians ala Reed want to take that from them.
Someone has called the country as it is now “Dickensian.” This would qualify for such an epithet.
Bah, Humbug.
Reed needs to be unemployed in a very bad way.
And how many jobs are there now with “real dignity” and “self support” ?? Try that on a McJob.
Not to mention that “empirical” means “depending upon experience or observation alone, without using scientific method or theory, esp. as in medicine.”
Interessant, merci.
OT: To the list of things, such as artificial limbs, medical prostheses, etc. which can set off an invasive groin search by TSA agents at airports, add sanitary napkins.
http://boingboing.net/2010/11/24/menstruating-woman-s.html
My apologies if this is a duplication.
newdealdem, dak:
I don’t know why people assume Michelle is differently inclined to her husband. I certainly would not lump her with Hillary.
Health care: Michelle, courtesy of Valerie Jarrett connections, was a bigtime $300,000+ hospital executive…in one of the fancy for-rich-people hospitals that deported the poor (homeless) patients to waiting-rooms of low-class hospitals and dumped them there.
No, I don’t have a link. I read it a long time ago.
Michelle isn’t a Hillary for sure, but she has something Obama does not: a pulse when she speaks.
Pilgrim,
Oh, no, I wouldn’t equate Michele with Hillary at all. To paraphrase Hillary: No way, No how. Not the same or even in the same ballpark.
But, I do think she shows her humanity towards other people when in public more than O does. She seems approachable relatively speaking in comparison to him. He just seems like a very cold fish. But, that is all.
Dak, I wonder what you think about this:
European banks took big slice of Fed aid
Foreign banks were among the biggest beneficiaries of the $3,300bn in emergency credit provided by the Federal Reserve during the crisis, according to new data on the extraordinary efforts of the US authorities to save the global financial system.
The revelation of the scale of overseas lenders’ borrowing underlines the global nature of the turmoil and the crucial role of the Fed as the lender of last resort for the world’s banking sector.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4dd95e42-fd6d-11df-a049-00144feab49a.html#axzz16uw5zQG9
I saw it earlier today…
you saw that I’m writing about the FED data dump on the front page? It looks like tons of FED help went to foreign banks.
Two months ago I read that Michelle was spending all her time “lobbying” Congress for a different lunch/morning menu for school children – one that she says is better for the children. That sounds good, except there are no funds for these changes and she wants the funds to come from – food stamps for those who qualify. I have not seen this information again, nor do I remember where I saw it. That is so not right. It would take away from the program that sends food home over the weekends for those who would otherwise go without and lower the amount in the whole food stamp program. I can’t find a link – I know I did not dream it, so hopefully it died or she can find funding elsewhere.
It really concerns me how those who are unemployed, living in poverty, going without food, shelter, heat, medical, dental, it just goes on and on – can face each new day. How can these politicians live with what they are doing? I am not aware of any plan for real employment??
What is either party going to run on? Up with greed…pfffft!
And still no outrage coming from the WH yet President Indifferent “apologizes” to the GOP for not meeting with them more often.
Depressing. Hillary, who fought for years for women and children’s rights, would never have stood for this.
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but why is it aisle 111?
Thursday’s Child (Branjor?), Thank you for asking that for me!
Yep, it’s me, Branjor. Glad I’m not the only one wondering!
111th congress
Oh.
I think Lobe 5 is mostly cleaned up.