Congressional Republicans know there are only a few weeks left before the end of the session, so it’s time to get down to serious business. Lawmakers will therefore be using their limited time left to vote on constitutional amendments on gay marriage and flag burning. Your tax dollars at work.
Dems, meanwhile, are prepared to play hardball.
Hoping to persuade Republicans not to schedule votes on divisive issues during the coming weeks, Democratic Senators vowed Wednesday to grind legislative business in the chamber to a halt if GOP leaders seek to score political points on the eve of the election.
Democrats argue that there are too many urgent issues awaiting action for the chamber to spend time on such explosive topics as passing constitutional amendments to ban flag burning and same-sex marriages before October’s month-long pre-election recess.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) added that Bill Frist and the GOP are risking an “all-out war,” but insisted it doesn’t have to be this way. “If you want to be constructive and positive and bipartisan, we can get a lot accomplished,” Durbin said.
Now, I’m not familiar enough with the intricacies of procedural Hill rules to know exactly what the Dems would do to bring the Senate to a standstill, but one presumes Daschle & Co. know a few tricks.
At this point, it appears they’re going to need them.
For some Republicans it is the perfect political storm: a Senate vote on a constitutional amendment to protect the U.S. flag that would put Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kerry, running mate John Edwards and Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle on the spot just a few weeks before the Nov. 2 elections.
The Senate GOP leadership has not scheduled a vote on the proposed amendment, but Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) noted last week that it is a high priority for veterans groups. Other Republicans say a vote is likely before the Senate’s Oct. 8 target date for adjournment.
Shameless, cynical politics at its worst. The Senate is scrambling to find time to vote on homeland security bills and confirmation of a new CIA director, while the Congress still hasn’t even passed a federal budget for next year. And yet, before this year’s adjournment, the chamber has to consider a constitutional amendment that won’t pass, isn’t necessary, and addresses a problem that doesn’t exist. Why? Because it might be worth a couple of points in the polls. They don’t want to govern; they want to campaign through the appearance of governing.
Dems are right to threaten an all-out political “war” over the GOP’s twisted tactics and it seems almost unavoidable that this will occur. It’s a good thing Bush changed the tone in DC, isn’t it?