GOP obstructionist agenda paying dividends

December 13, 2007

Following up on an item from yesterday, Senate Republicans have decided to effectively hold Congress hostage, refusing to allow up-or-down votes on practically everything. Bills may enjoy the support of the majority of the House, majority of the Senate, and majority of the country, but the GOP has decided to embrace obstructionism in a way no previous Senate minority has ever even considered.

To be sure, this is causing intense frustration among congressional Democrats. The House is passing bills, only to see them die from neglect in the Senate. Dems in the upper chamber are desperate to score some legislative victories, but can’t get overcome the minority party’s shameless desire to shut down the legislative process.

Worse, according to a front-page piece in today’s WaPo, Dems are apparently turning their aggravation inwards.

When Democrats took control of Congress in January, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) pledged to jointly push an ambitious agenda to counter 12 years of Republican control.

Now, as Congress struggles to adjourn for Christmas, relations between House Democrats and their colleagues in the Senate have devolved into finger-pointing.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) accuses Senate Democratic leaders of developing “Stockholm syndrome,” showing sympathy to their Republican captors…. Reid, in turn, has taken to the Senate floor to criticize what he called the speaker’s “iron hand” style of governance.

Democrats in each chamber are now blaming their colleagues in the other for the mess in which they find themselves. The predicament caused the majority party yesterday surrender to President Bush on domestic spending levels, drop a cherished renewable-energy mandate and move toward leaving a raft of high-profile legislation, from addressing the mortgage crisis to providing middle-class tax relief, undone or incomplete.

I can appreciate that there’s always going to be some tensions between the chambers, but this is a foolish mistake. The current mess is entirely a Republican creation, and the GOP would like nothing more than to see Dems attack each other instead of the minority.

It’s getting close to ugly.

Asked about his decision on government funding, House Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey (D-Wis.) groused to the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call: “I’ll tell you how soon I will make a decision when I know how soon the Senate sells us out.” Senate Democrats have fired back, accusing Pelosi and her liberal allies of sending over legislation that they know cannot pass in the Senate, and of making demands that will not gain any GOP votes. Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) noted that, this summer, Reid employed just the kind of theatrics Rangel and other House Democrats are demanding, holding the Senate open all night, pulling out cots and forcing a dusk-till-dawn debate on an Iraq war withdrawal measure before a vote on war funding. Democrats gained not a single vote after the all-night antics.

“I understand the frustration; we’re frustrated, too,” Bayh said. “But holding a bunch of Kabuki theater doesn’t get anything done.”

If Dems want to reinforce the perception that they legislate like herded cats, they’re doing a good job.

And just as the Republicans should be punished for blocking every popular policy proposal that reaches the Senate, they’re instead feeling good about themselves.

Republicans, who spent 12 years in similar battles, are just enjoying the spectacle.

“Just let ’em stew for a while,” said soon-to-retire Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott (R-Miss.), a veteran of the GOP’s own squabbles.

This isn’t a strategy for success.

The euphoria surrounding Democratic takeovers of both houses of Congress evaporated when Pelosi-Reid removed our biggest weapon from the contest. Ever since then the Dems are looking more and more emasculated, listless, worthless, overfed. The recent revelations that top Democrats may be as guilty as The Decider (hey, they were informed, weren’t they?) doesn’t help any, but no one cares anymore than they do about GOP sex crimes. It began and ended with the Impeachment issue.

Every December, as the ancient Romans faced the life-threatening uncertainties of winter (they didn’t even name the period later Romans designated as January and February) they found solace in their week-long Saturnalia, basically a drunken orgy. I feel that way now. The Romans came back to life with the return of Spring and renewed wars of conquest. We’re different: our long uncertain winter is going to last until the November elections, at the earliest. Not even any juicy hearings to speak of (e.g., war profiteers).

Thanks again, Pelosi-Reid. I’ll have the wine, you take the hemlock please.

  • Hey, we’re as frustrated as they are – maybe more – but they need to a strategy that doesn’t have them sniping at each other in public.

    The biggest problem is leadership, or the lack thereof. Harry Reid has, for one, been entirely too deferential to Republicans, agreeing to the 60-vote rule on virtually every piece of legislation, with some exceptions – and those exceptions all seem to be on bills we oppose, where we could prevail in keeping them from coming to a vote. Does Reid work for the Democrats, or does he work for the Republicans?

    The House, because it is working with a larger majority, seems to be able to accomplish more, but the Senate seems incapable of playing the same kind of hardball that Republicans played when they were in the majority. Concede, concede and then just give up – over and over and over.

    During the recess, they’d better think long and hard about what their list of accomplishments is going to look like in an election year; I can already hear the ads the GOP will be running, and if they have any hope of picking up seats and strengthening their majority, they’d better wake up and get it together.

  • Strategy for success:

    Force a real-deal filibuster on any bill that enjoys majority support but can’t pass the 60-vote threshold. Make the Republicans talk it to death. Simultaneously set up a Democratic rapid-response squad to counter the scurrilous lies that would doubtless come out of any filibustering Republican’s mouth. Make clear at every point that the bill would pass if it wasn’t for the blowhard doing all the talking.

    This is what needs to happen. Accountability needs to be assigned where it is deserved.

  • God, how are all these smart people so effing stupid? This should be the major theme of the campaign, Democrats should be pointing out at every opportunity in the next 13 months that Republicans are stalling every piece of legislation that comes up. This is a gift from the Republican minority since Bush would be vetoing all these bills anyway. They should be putting their seats in jeopardy with all the bills they won’t even allow a vote on, instead Dems fight each other. Morons, all of them. And I thought Reid would be a good hardnose leader, but I freely admit at this point that he has been a disaster in message control. The story is not getting out, House Dems should be upset, but griping isn’t the solution.

  • So the GOP is blocking every single bill, yet the media pretty much ignores it and doesn’t explain to the American people what’s going on.

    Yet the Dems are frustrated with each other as a result of this obstructionism and it’s front-page news.

    Nice …

  • IMO the people who really run the show, the ones who fund this whole circus, don’t want the Dems to make progress. That’s why we have this kabuki shit going on all the time.

    It’s time to take advantage of Bush Fatigue Syndrome, and elect a lot more dems, and then take off the gloves and rid ourselves of the “leadership” who have been enabling this farce. That will probably take a few more cycles, but with the netroots becoming more effective every cycle, I think it will happen. Soon we’ll know exactly who’s selling us out as they do it, and we’ll have the troops in place to take them to task for it. After awhile they’ll learn to be more afraid of us than they are of their corporate Johns.

    “Clean elections” would knock this whole paradigm on it’s ass, if I had one wish that would be it.

  • Filibusters, what filibusters? I haven’t seen or heard one this year. Did I miss something? I’ve been trying to pay attention. What I’ve seen is Reid cave at the mere mention of a filibuster.

    Since he’s so convinced a filibuster will succeed, why not give it a chance and try out that theory. Then maybe he’ll learn he’s not so right. Or maybe won’t. Sure would be nice to know.

    How’s about one on Christmas eve, while the troops are stuck in the desert and Congress would otherwise be home with their families. Or on New Years Eve, while the soldiers guard and Congress would otherwise be attending parties and patting themselves on the back joyously.

    Pathetic.

  • Wasn’t the last non-recess where local Senators punded the gavel for 15 seconds a form of “kubuki theater”??
    There were no recess appointments.

    Kabuki WORKED, Harry. You just aren’t as pissed as we are. Since you’ve given up hope for us, you went back to your four day work week. The work week the GOP griped about.

    How’s THIS for more kubuki?

    Fargus@3 wants a filibuster.
    Don’t MAKE them do it. Do it oursel;ves.
    Hold up all other business by having a few volunteers speak endlessly against S-CHIP by quoting Republican Senators arguments against it and follow up with refutations.

    “My esteemed colleague from Utah says the S-CHIP expansion will cost 30 billion dollars more than the current program and such funds should instead be dedicated to Senator Steven’s bridge allowing 150 commuters to save 30 minutes a day. I’m not sure I agree with the priorities, but the American people have a right to know that children’s health is not everyone’s idea of the best use of tax funds.”

    Give it a few days of Democrat infomercial and either the GOP will participate in their filibuster or they’ll let the vote happen.

    The fact milktoast Veep-in-waiting Evan Bayh was the one to come to Reid’s rescue is damning.

  • So let me get this straight: As CB sees it, it’s the GOPs fault that the Dems have not figured a way to outsmart the GOP and govern with its slim majority. So, instead of figuring out a way to do their jobs, the Dems are acting like a bunch of 6-year olds (sorry to offend you kindergarteners out there for the reference) and attacking each other for their ineptitude. That’s some mighty nice spin, CB. Heck, if I was in the GOP minority, I would find this amusing too!

    Sure, the GOP is making it next to impossible for Congress to function, but someone (perhaps the moderates from both parties) has to find a way to govern – or they all will be toast.

    Ladies and Gentlemen: Your tax dollars at work.

  • Yes, the Rethugs are incorrigible asses. Yes, the media carries any nonsensical message the Rethugs want but wont give the Dems a break. Yes, our majorities (particularly in the Senate) are very thin.

    We knew all of this.

    We apparently, a year after learningwe would be in the majorities, still have no plan to deal with it. And as usual, our messaging is truly, madly, deeply awful. And so we revert to what Dems are famous for: lack of unity or organization except when forming a circular firing squad.

    Jr. @ 10 is, as usual, being a trolling, snide, pain in the ass — but this time he actually has a point. I happen to disagree with his ultimate conclusion that the answer is for the “moderates” to run the show, but he is right to point out that it is the Dems job to find a way to either make legislation happen or make political points off of it not happening. (And if the latter were to really happen, I assure you the former would follow – but right now there is no price the Rethugs are paying for obstruction.) There really is no excuse: the Rethugs didn’t have this problem when they had a slim majority, and god knows the Dems weren’t this effective in the minority.

    Have we no leaders, no organizers, no communicators worthy of the words, worthy of their titles and positions of privilege that can solve this problem?

    I would like to be optimistic that if we can settle the Presidential nomination fast enough that person will be able to “take the reins” of the party and serve as an organizing force, adding some coherence and a singular voice to the Dems positions. More likely they will just end up part of the finger pointing which will then be among the House, Senate, and Candidate.

    I

  • “Jr. @ 10 is, as usual, being a trolling, snide, pain in the ass”

    Perfect example of Zeitgeist acting just like her Dem party leaders. I am actually surprised you didn’t throw in a “nah, nah, nah, nah, nah”

  • JRS Jr said:

    So let me get this straight: As CB sees it, it’s the GOPs fault that the Dems have not figured a way to outsmart the GOP and govern with its slim majority.

    Read it all again Jr. Comments too. There’s more here than just the title. The entire theme of this post is the incredible incompetence and timidity and completely oblivious behavior of the Democratic side of congress. Mostly their dark, dark fear of everything that isn’t a desk to hide under.

    “If Dems want to reinforce the perception that they legislate like herded cats, they’re doing a good job.” – Mr. CB

    That doesn’t sound like blaming RepubCo. RepubCo is doing what it does. The problem is Dems not doing much of anything. RepubCo’s actions are expected. There’s no controlling that. But the Dem’s responses are pathetic and less then even half-hearted. To my mind they just aren’t trying. They don’t really seem to care about anything except just being there and getting to play at being congress dolls.

    Oh yeah, that thing about moderates. There aren’t any. Or at least not enough to get anything done. And that’s part of the illusion. It’s like the Dems are waiting for some previous era of collegiality and good will to return so they can get back to work in a more decorous and easy fashion and it ain’t going to happen.

    Either they learn how to play tougher and with more cohesion and smarts or RepubCo will take it all back just because it’s sitting there with nobody on the Dem side really caring one way or the other.

  • The Wall Street Journal is reporting similar details on the front page of today’s issue, but spinning it such that readers would be misinformed:

    “President Bush and Republicans are contributing to the impasse [resulting in bills not reaching the President’s desk], but there’s another factor: Intraparty squabbling between House Democrats and Senate Democrats…”
     (Thank you Rupert Murdoch.)

    Yes, there is intraparty “squabbling”. But such disagreements aren’t a cause of gridlock, as the WSJ reports; they’re a result of gridlock. Senate Republicans appear to be able to filibuster nearly any bill that comes out of committee, no matter how necessary or popular, with impunity. Until we find away to inform the electorate of what’s really going on, they’ll continue to get away with this disgusting charade.

  • Junior, please: raise both the collegiality and average intelligence of this community by leaving it.

    Your interpretation of being a “moderate” isn’t reasoned and balanced; it’s intellectually lazy. Both sides aren’t always equally to blame, and injunctions for everyone to make nice don’t mean squat when the two sides want fundamentally different things.

    Example: earlier today, the Senate failed by *one vote* to get cloture on the energy bill. Here’s why:

    Senate Republicans blocked a broad energy bill Thursday because it included billions of dollars in new taxes on the biggest oil companies.

    Democrats are going to remove the taxes, evidently, so the bill will go forward. Fuck that. We’re operating, or supposed to be operating, under PAYGO rules; letting ExxonMobil off the hook means either that you and I will be paying more taxes, or (much more likely) that some less connected political constituency–impoverished old people who need help paying their heating bills–gets screwed.

    Sometimes you have to fight.

  • Very well-reasoned and thoughtful response, as always.

    Are you really this dimwitted, or is this some kind of exercise to see how much of a stupid asshole you can represent as?

  • JRS Jr., in this case, as in a lot of others, the Republicans are to blame. There is also the problem of the Democrats not being able to effectively counter the GOP’s tactics, but that’s a second-order problem that wouldn’t exist without the Republicans’ knee-jerk obstructionism.

    Do you have a problem with placing blame where it’s due? Or does your self-professed “moderate” character require that no matter what the facts are, you have to blame both sides?

  • JRS Jr said:

    “The current mess is entirely a Republican creation”

    burro, did you miss this line?

    Touche’. And I blame the Dems.

  • I would think it would be in Congressperson’s job description to figure out how to break log jams with the other party vs. turning and lashing out against their own party… I didn’t see much of that when the GOP was in he majority. Heck, and the moderates were able to break some log jams back then.

    I am sorry there is no one else to blame for the Dems’ infighting and lack of ability to figure out how to either beat the GOP or work with the GOP to get things done — it is the majority party. Dems have to take that responsibility on their own shoulders and stop acting like a bunch of children.

  • I got it… one side (the GOP) is ALWAYS to blame.

    Well, let’s see here:

    When the Dems were in the minority and wanted to filibuster several heinous judicial nominees, the GOP threatened to nuke the filibuster. In fact, here are some choice quotes:

    “[Filibustering] is wrong. It’s not supportable under the Constitution. And if they insist on persisting with these filibusters, I’m perfectly prepared to blow the place up.”
    –Trent Lott

    “Senator McConnell always has and continues to fully support the use of what has become known as the ‘[nuclear]’ option in order to restore the norms and traditions of the Senate.”
    –Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) spokesman

    “I support the [nuclear] option, I support a rule change, I support elimination of the unconstitutional filibuster by any legal means.”
    –Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX):

    Of course, now that the GOP is in the minority, they are threatening to filibuster EVERY SINGLE F***ING BILL. ALL. OF. THEM. In other words, something is only unconstitutional if Dems want to do it.

    So yes, in this case, the GOP is to blame. But only for about 70% of the problem.

    The remaining 30% is due to Reid and Co. being pansy asses and just letting the GOP steamroll them. That’s pretty much clear as day and something all of us here seem to agree upon.

    But to act as if the GOP has no hand in this whatsoever just ignores basic reality.

  • While the Republicans are taking every advantage to block Democratic legislation, they are not forcing the Democrats to bicker among themselves or in the public eye – that’s a poor Democratic response to conditions I think they have the ability to, if not change, at least use to their advantage – but that would require that they break out of their various and sundry camps and remember that they are supposed to be on the same side.

    For my money, assuming we are still in the majority in the 110th Congress, replacing Harry Reid as Senate Majority Leader should be at or near the top of their agenda; I haven’t quite figured out who would fill that position, but I’ve been thinking lately that Chris Dodd might at least bring a larger measure of fire and backbone to the job – something that is sorely needed.

  • Mark, I NEVER said the GOP wasn’t to blame… I just disputed the comment “The current mess is entirely a Republican creation”

    My point is exactly yours, the Dems have to share some of the blame.

  • See, I don’t see that statement as inaccurate. It’s a Republican creation, and the Dems’ response to it has gotten them wrapped up in it, to a point where they bear blame, as well. But my point from before stands: the Dems’ fault lies in a second-order problem. Their infighting is a result of the problem that the Republicans created.

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  • Here is a perfect example of where the Dems simply must learn to fight better or find entirely new leadership.

    Despite the Dems having 59 votes, Senate Republicans get “credit” for blocking the energy bill.

    Why did the Rethugs block the bill? Because it sought to roll back tax breaks given to Big Oil companies.

    The oil companies had pressed lawmakers to oppose repeal of the $13.5 billion in tax breaks provided them by Congress in 2004 and 2005. They argued the tax relief was essential as an incentive for domestic oil and gas production and refinery expansion and that rolling back the tax breaks would lead to higher energy prices.

    Yep, it would have gotten back for the general public $13.5 billion in total over time from all oil companies. In the event that sounds remotely onerous, in one quarter, Q2-2007, one company, ExxonMobil, had $10 billion in profits. And the oil companies have only had the tax break since 2004 – it isn’t exactly part of their long-term business model.

    To review, in a time where Jack and Jill Mainstreet are paying $3.00 for gas and aren’t happy about it, oil companies are making record profits. A decent, far-reaching energy bill gets held up because Rethug leaders want to protect not the environment, not the average Americans paying energy bills, but the record profits of Big Oil companies.

    And we are so unable, unwilling, or unsure we can sell our case to the public that we immediately back down instead and pass the bill without the tax provisions? (which also makes use vulnerable to yet another charge that we violated our own PayGo rules)

    Reid and his team have got to go. And the Washington Dems collectively have to learn (a) messaging and (b) how to fight. This is the most ridiculous cave-in ever.

  • I should add that I have no philosophical problem with the Republicans using the cloture rule (because that’s really what this is). 220 years of experience suggests that this is the way the system is supposed to work, and it did save us from some awful stuff in the 109th Congress.

    My problem is that they should be made to pay a higher political price for it–and that, unquestionably, is where the Democrats have failed.

    But that’s a political fight they need to wage and win. The Republicans *are* being obstructionist, to the detriment of the country.

    I was having this discussion with someone on another site yesterday, and he pointed out that we’re now essentially in a parliamentary system. The problem, of course, is that we can’t call a “no confidence” vote in the Bush administration, which still calls the tune to which the congressional Republicans dance.

  • Mark D said:
    But to act as if the GOP has no hand in this whatsoever just ignores basic reality.

    Fargus said:
    Their infighting is a result of the problem that the Republicans created.

    But when wasn’t RepubCo going to create these problems? Was there ever a milliseconds worth of hope anytime after 11/06 that this wasn’t going to be a battle? Of course RepubCo “created” these problems. But they didn’t create them in the last year. The die was cast. RepubCo had been f’ers and they were going to be f’ers.

    Gentleman’s agreements should be out the window. Dems have been reamed relentlessly and they keep returning for more because of what? Gentleman’s agreements? Fears of being reamed even worse? There isn’t any worse. It sucks right now.

    Put it on RepubCo’s doorstep. Whatever. That way Dems don’t have to look in the mirror and acknowledge that they’ve made it easier, not harder, for RepubCo to “create this mess”.

    Make RepubCo stand and filibuster. If they want to obstruct legislation, let them stand in front of the world and make their case for obstruction. Maybe some equality has been desired. Dems did it this many times so RepubCo gets to do it this many times. Well we must be about to reach the point where this fiasco can be revisited. It’s time to turn a filibuster back into a filibuster and either use it in it’s all of it’s glory or ditch it. This namby-pamby wiggling of the little finger over and over to indicate obstruction is disgusting.

  • Harry Reid is about as brilliant a strategist as Ghengis Cohen. Never heard of him? Well there you go.

  • What’s all the yak about moderates working out republican obstructionism? The republican leadership in the senate over rules even bipartisn supported bills. Our way or the hiway is not working anything out. Moderate dems means those willing to vote with the republicans. Logically it’s a flaw in the system when a majority passes a bill but it can’t pass because it requires a two thirds majority. The system was set up with the expectation that those involved wanted to govern not shut government down. Lawmakers were expected to be deliberative and rational, not pouting when they don’t get their way…not OBSTRUCTIONISTS because they want to make the other party look bad. We expect Reid to be able to deal with adults not pamper babies.
    So far there is no way of combating the temper tantrums thrown by adult republicans who are not focusing on the issues but merely trying to score political points. They can sure as hell come up with legislation to condemn others behavior quick enough.
    What can anyone do when people get elected and then go about trying to make sure the government won’t work.

    Moderates my ass. I would rather they just shutdown the government till election day rather than concede to these people bent on dismantling our democracy. These republicans don’t want to compromise or work out anything…they want to dominate and dictate. Their time has come and I just wish there were a way to move the voting date forward or have an emergency election. ***ED STEPHAN***is right . It begins and ends with the impeachment issue.

    I can’t help but think of an old man on his death bed everytime I hear that whispering voice of Harry Reid. I don’t care if he was a Marine or a boxer he gives the impression of weakness in front of an audience. But he’s there and not leaving. He should just not allow certain bills to even come to the floor for a vote. Plus he should quit trying to be so damned cooperative and bipartisan because it’s totally one sided. He must realize that the press will always spin to support the republican side so he must learn to be rude if he wants his message out there. That’s all the MSM will respond to. What the hell you people expect him to do besides forcing filibuster on every issue is beyond me. What can he do. He needs a press assault daily. Ever day he should publicly remind voters of every bill prevented from coming to the floor for a vote by Mitch…that’s right , make it personal. Threaten to beat the crap out of him or suggest that’s what the public should want to do. The public understands that. Identify the enemy and then identify why he is the enemy. The republicans today are the enemy of government. They get elected to make sure it doesn’t work except to help them profiteer from its connections. Moderate my ass.

  • What I want to know is how the changes in the Senate that weren’t approved by the House are getting through…

    …Pelosi needs to rein in the committees and make sure the the House gets its due.

  • It is apparent to me at least that both sides of the aisle have forgotten the most important thing THEY WORK FOR US, of course we have forgotten too, because we allow them to continue this self centered approach focused only on getting re-elected. Doing what is right for the majority of the country be damned. Everybody for themselves to hell with the rest of the country

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