House Democrats Find their Spines!!
Posted: December 9, 2010 Filed under: Breaking News, Democratic Politics, POTUS, president teleprompter jesus, Team Obama | Tags: Bush tax cut extensions, Dream Act, Obama Fail 60 CommentsWow! Maybe a future of being outnumbered has caused House Democrats to finally rediscover their party affiliation! 
This is hot off the CNN Political Ticker.
Defying President Obama, House Democrats voted Thursday not to bring up the tax package that he negotiated with Republicans in its current form.
“This message today is very simple: That in the form that it was negotiated, it is not acceptable to the House Democratic caucus. It’s as simple as that,” said Democratic Congressman Chris Van Hollen.
“We will continue to try and work with the White House and our Republican colleagues to try and make sure we do something right for the economy and right for jobs, and a balanced package as we go forward,” he said.
The vote comes a day after Vice President Biden made clear to House Democrats behind closed doors that the deal would unravel if any changes were made.
“Wow did the [White House] mishandle this,” a senior House Democratic Source told CNN. “Breathtaking. Members have major substantive concerns and they should have gently guided people to the finish line.”
Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon said: “They said take it or leave it. We left it.”
I guess last minute visits by VPOTUS and last minute guilt trips by POTUS just didn’t work.
President Obama warned his fellow Democrats on Wednesday that they risk plunging the country into a double-dip recession if they reject his tax-cut deal with Republicans.
It also appears that the Dream Act will die in the Senate. This is from NPR.
A measure that would have given grown children of illegal immigrants a path to citizenship stalled and likely died Thursday in the Senate, after Majority Leader Harry Reid was unable to persuade enough Republicans to give the measure the 60 votes it needed to avoid a GOP filibuster.
The DREAM Act, which passed the House Wednesday by a 216-198 vote, would create the citizenship path through college or military service. Reid, a Nevada Democrat who won a tough re-election in November, promised his constituents that he’d bring the measure to the Senate floor.
Reid’s request that the Senate table the motion passed 59-40. Given the lack of Republican support and the dwindling number of days left in Congress’s lame duck session, the chances that the act will be re-considered are slim.
More than 50 percent of Americans say they are worse off now than they were two years ago when President Barack Obama took office, and two-thirds believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, a Bloomberg National Poll shows.
The survey, conducted Dec. 4-7, finds that 51 percent of respondents think their situation has deteriorated, compared with 35 percent who say they’re doing better. The balance isn’t sure. Americans have grown more downbeat about the country’s future in just the last couple of months, the poll shows. The pessimism cuts across political parties and age groups, and is common to both sexes.
The negative sentiment may cast a pall over the holiday shopping season, according to the poll. A plurality of those surveyed — 46 percent — expects to spend less this year than last; only 12 percent anticipate spending more. Holiday sales rose by just under a half percent last year after falling by almost 4 percent in 2008.
Hopefully, we’re at some kind of tipping point. You certainly can see the tide turning against POTUS in left blogosphere and even in the media.
Dear Answerperson: My boyfriend is a liberal Democrat and ever since the president announced his tax deal with the Republicans, he has been impossible to live with. First he burned his “Audacity of Hope” sweater. Then he began messing up the cat’s litter box, claiming he needed to draw “lines in the sand.” Now he wants to call off our wedding because he says that when you put your trust in people, they break your heart.
Stay tuned. Things are getting interesting.
peej
Carissa
ecocatwoman
mablue2
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
Oh, Republicans say they can reject stuff too:
Republicans Block U.S. Health Aid for 9/11 Workers
Aren’t these guys nice?
It shows just what they are made of…all that sanctimonious Christian blather…they don’t fool me!
Well, aren’t they just so patriotic, they use the fire department as backdrops and deny them health care. Just upsets me…
Heh
They were rejecting stuff before this statement even came out.
Exhibit A- $250 credit for elderly.
I can’t wait to see their campaign ads in 2012. We told old folks and heros from tragic 9-11 event to take a flying leap.
We need to consider that the House walked the plank and got the legislation through (Obama’s legislation) to be rejected by the Senate and the President. I suspect a lot of them are ticked off for the lack of principle and are just tired of the whole mess.
And so the kabuki dance begins, they’ll “force” the “change” of a comma, completely capitulate, then declare victory. So looking forward to the emotional roller coaster of Son of Health Care Debacle, Endless Division.
I knew things were happening, I can always tell by the number of items in my Reader. Today it jumped from 0 to 431 in a matter of 4 hours.
The biggest news is that Nancy may have found her brass ones. I guess POTUS should’ve defended her a bit more during the election season.
I’d feel better if she said something about removing the tax cuts for the rich.
I think she must be on a ten step program. The fact she actually spoke up has my jaw on the floor. Hopefully, she moves through the next few steps quickly and goes straight to HELL NO!!! NOT AGAIN!!!
I just saw Jay Inslee on CNN–very fired up. He’s the first person I’ve heard mention the veto too. He said the House Dems are unified on this.
Just spewed my afternoon coffee on that one, Kat! HAAAAAAA!
I love Jay Inslee. I met him at the Hillary rally in Seattle in 2008. He’s a great guy and a Hillary supporter.
Isn’t this Nancy “I-insist-on-a-public-option” Pelosi?
Don’t get your hopes up. She’s just asking for a backdoor deal of her own.
I never get my hopes up with Pelosi. She’s queen of kabuki.
And this is why I could never join the Republican R@t F*ckers (RRF)- do they ever care about anyone who isn’t comatose, sometime-to-be-born, or rich?
OTOH they do know how to play the game.
So when I see the House Dems find their spine I worry about their staying power. And I think, what would the RRF do? Offer 25$ to my Rep’s war chest each time he stands up for real Democratic principles?
Somethings got to work to make them stop CAVING IN to every Goddamn
Republican position Obama the Trojan Horse falls in love with.
I called and left a message thanking Spkr Pelosi and asking her not to cave.
Congressional Dems angry about flood of e-mails from WH on tax cuts.
Duh!
They just can’t even buy a clue can they? Perhaps they should hire Vanna White? They could at least have her flip a few letters for them.
Oh good grief!!! http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1210/Biden_the_new_Rahm.html
What has he been smoking? He may be a liaison to the Senate but how do you compare a poodle to a pit bull in the same sentence?
Apparently Gibbs enraged House Dems by saying they will vote for this in the end anyway.
So – is the Houses intragidence to do something legitimate or get more of a share of the pork. At least they are stirring the rice bowl
I think it is to teach Obama a lesson about process. He seems to have forgotten they exist and have an important part in making deals and passing legislation.
I can’t wait for the stories to start coming out soon about the battles between the WH and the Dem leadership that have been kept secret for the past two years. Pelosi can’t keep a lid on it any longer. I thought her true feelings were showing yesterday. She has had enough and won’t keep protecting his ass.
I thought there were exceptions for lightbringers
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/09/house-democrats-tax-cuts_n_794404.html This will turn out to be nothing but kubuki . They are more angry at being by-passed than what’s in this bill.
I think the anger is largely the process but the 2% Poison Solution for SS should have everyone scared to death.
Profanity, Anger Spill Over in House Democratic Caucus Meeting : Roll Call
ROFLOL!
I know, wouldn’t you love to be there? Sounds like fun.
Yeah that’s why Republicans win even when Democrats are in power.
Asshats.
I guess I’m kind of a sucker, because I’m getting my hopes up.
You may be lots of things but you’re no sucker.
And I will say, those I heard on TV, like Anthony Wiener, were seriously angry. Maybe if they egg each other on they’ll make this a serious sustained fight.
Wouldn’t that be something? Show Republicans even if Obama can be rolled, Democrats will fight.
Hope springs eternal for me too BB.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/08/while-whacking-left-obama_n_794061.html Remember what we were talking about yesterday about Obama not knowing the history of Social Security. Turns out he’s said it before.
Also, click thru to Brad Delong on the FDR SS comment.
The Brad DeLong Huh pieces are priceless! It makes you wonder if any one in the West Wing knows anything. Evidently, a lot of those pricey prep schools aren’t as worthwhile as they’re hyped to be …
Yup. I can’t believe his aides didn’t correct him at that point or at least one of the economists floating around the west wing.
OT: Where are all the links which used to be on the left?
(How can I live without links?)
i have no idea. let me go put them back.
Thx!
NO idea why they disappeared but thankfully, I got them back.
That’s weird.
WordPress has been playing with a few changes. Some times they do something and quirky things happen. That’s all I can figure. I didn’t mess with the design at all this morning.
Ron Paul, Author of `End the Fed,' to Lead Panel Overseeing Central Bank – Bloomberg
Did you all see this?
Ratigan was talking to Goldsby and asked about acceleration equipment depreciation. Austin said it was only for domestic depreciation. The real question is: is it for american products. Diminished value if all the equipment is bought off shore.
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/12/09/5619090-key-vote-on-dont-ask-dont-tell-repeal-fails
Breaking news!! DADT repeal just failed! in Senate!
So – will DADT failure tick people off. Will they do something about it.
Another one of the Obama failures
This is just terrible. I hope Scott Brown gets thrown out in 2012.
To deny a person the right to fight and die for their country in an open manner is a stain on the American government. I am ashamed of them beyond belief. These issues are not gay rights issues as the media would have us believe. These are CIVIL rights issues. I am sickened by the black members of congress that choose NOT to stand up for the LGBT community when I know (I can’t go back in time to prove it, but statistics suggests this to be the case) members of the LGBT community marched with us at Selma, and in Memphis, and on Washington.
Asshats.
Hillary 2012
I’m not sure what to make of this tweet, but guess we’ll see.
That deal is supposed to get the murkowski and brown vote.
According to FDL, that bill is ready.
OT- http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2010/12/treasury-bars-use-of-tarp-funds-to-help-borrowers-facing-foreclosure.html Any questions? O-hole.
Asshat.
Hillary 2012
What Rock said.
I am cautiously optimistic about this spinal discovery that House Dems have all of a sudden made. Too many times have the Dems rolled over in the face of the slightest hint of strength from the opposition. Too many of the Dems now crying foul called anyone racist that opposed teh one’s election, EVEN in the face of the mounting evidence at the time that he would EXACTLY what he has done. I’m not sold and I am going to wait and see how long it is before they capitulate.
Asshats.
Hillary 2012
My God, what a mess. I looked at a picture of Pelosi on one of the news pages I was reading and she looked like she just work up to the fact that she REALLY screwed up when she backed the wrong horse in that race in 2008!
A little late now sweetie
Inslee wrote a post about this on HuffPo:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-jay-inslee/urgent-last-chance-to-get_b_794654.html
Might I say, with some pride, that this is my Congressman? I’ve met with him a couple times, been to a couple of his community meetings. I was always impressed because he listened and often modified his stance on things because of what his constituents said.
Anyway, I’m all verklempt.
You are so lucky.
I wasn’t gonna vote for him this year. I was determined to not vote Democrat, and there are no third parties possible in WA state. But then I thought that he’s done good 80-90% of the time. And he listens and does at least try, or pretend to try, and he (or his people) respond almost immediately to emails and letters.
Like anyone else is going to be better at this point?
Now, I just gotta get him to recognize that he’s got farmers in his constituency. Hehe.