20 thoughts on “Rogues’ Gallery”

  1. Is it safe to assume the entire list is made up of Democrats? I heard somewhere that the Republicans are to the last person against use of the Slaughter rule in this process but am not certain that remains the case.

    And come to think of it, a pox on both houses for creating these blasted shortcut procedures and maneuvers. They forever push the boundaries of what the shortcuts were intended to accomplish and you cannot ever rely on maturity and self restraint to prevent abuse of process.

    Is there anything that has a putrid stench worse than backroom politics?

  3. How many Republicans lost their seats because they used self-executing rules when they were in the majority? The answer: zero.

    Take it away, Norm Ornstein:

    Any veteran observer of Congress is used to the rampant hypocrisy over the use of parliamentary procedures that shifts totally from one side to the other as a majority moves to minority status, and vice versa. But I can’t recall a level of feigned indignation nearly as great as what we are seeing now from congressional Republicansand their acolytes at the Wall Street Journal, and on blogs, talk radio, and cable news.

    and

    In the last Congress that Republicans controlled, from 2005 to 2006, Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier used the self-executing rule more than 35 times, and was no stranger to the concept of “deem and pass.” That strategy, then decried by the House Democrats who are now using it, and now being called unconstitutional by WSJ editorialists, was defended by House Republicans in court (and upheld). Dreier used it for a $40 billion deficit reduction package so that his fellow GOPers could avoid an embarrassing vote on immigration.

    Ornstein asks “is there no shame anymore?” No, there is no shame.

  4. How many Republicans lost their seats because they used self-executing rules when they were in the majority? The answer: zero.

    Because they didn’t do it on anything as massively unpopular as this bill.

  5. The unfortunate thing is politicians can be bought off with plum govt. jobs even if they lose office. Any means of hiding their votes, if not unconstitutional (which it is) goes against the spirit of the constitution.

    It doesn’t matter what letter is behind their names or if it’s been done in the past… it is wrong.

    I hope the people keep awake.

  6. This libertarian will be voting straight GOP for Congress in November. Gridlock is the only solution to our current woes.

  7. Because they didn’t do it on anything as massively unpopular as this bill.

    “Massively unpopular”? The Economist’s latest poll has it at 50-50. Rasmussen has 33% support for single payer! Medicare only had 46% approval when it passed — do you recall the stampede to punish those legislators?

    This won’t be an issue in November because the public has a 10-minute attention span for Beltway process stories.

  8. “Massively unpopular”?

    Yes. You have to look much deeper into the polls, and consider the depth of feeling about it. Those who like it are lukewarm. Those who are opposed hate it with the depth of their being. You will reap a whirlwind in November if this thing passes. Enough to start to undo much of it. Those parts that aren’t ruled unconstitutional, that is.

  10. “This won’t be an issue in November because the public has a 10-minute attention span for Beltway process stories.”

    Jim, you are delusional if you truly believe that and you are going to be in for the rude awakening of a lifetime in November.

    The Republicans are going to have tens of millions of dollars to remind people of these votes.

  11. consider the depth of feeling about it

    You are mistaking your depth of feeling with that of the fairly apolitical independents who swing elections. Most voters don’t watch cable news, or listen to talk radio. Most voters haven’t even heard of deem-and-pass, and even fewer consider it a scandal. The ones who do were going to vote for the GOP anyway.

    That said, I fully expect the GOP to pick up seats, and maybe even control of the House, in November. That’s what happens in off-year elections, particularly if the economy is bad. But not passing the bill would be even worse for the Dems, as they remember from 1994.

  12. Enough to start to undo much of it.

    Do tell how the GOP will find the votes to override Obama’s veto.

    Hint: it’s mathematically impossible to go from 41 GOP seats in the Senate to 67 when only 18 Democratic seats are up for election.

  13. Hint: it’s mathematically impossible to go from 41 GOP seats in the Senate to 67 when only 18 Democratic seats are up for election.

    You’re foolishly (as is your wont) assuming that after the beating they have just taken, and continuing public pressure, there won’t be Democrat votes to undo this atrocity.

  14. But not passing the bill would be even worse for the Dems, as they remember from 1994.

    This is the ahistorical stupidity that is driving the current stupidity. The Dems didn’t suffer in 1994 because they failed. It was because a) they attempted and, b) they passed the moronic “assault weapons” ban.

  15. “Do tell how the GOP will find the votes to override Obama’s veto. ”

    This is merely an authorization bill. They can always de-fund the supporting bureacracy for now and wait till 2013 when they have the power to end it for all.

  16. How many Republicans lost their seats because they used self-executing rules

    It was unconstitutional when the republicans did it as well.

  17. This is merely an authorization bill. They can always de-fund the supporting bureacracy for now and wait till 2013 when they have the power to end it for all.

    The new taxes and mandates would start immediately, so some relief would need to happen right away before too many people lose their jobs & existing insurance.

  18. What will be interesting is that if a bloodbath does happen in November for the Democrats, whether they may not gain by some Democrats changing parties or, at least, going Independent.

    I think the party is in dire trouble in the near term. Of course, once the GOP controls one or both houses of Congress, some of the heat will come off of the Democrats.

  19. The Dems didn’t suffer in 1994 because they failed. It was because a) they attempted and, b) they passed the moronic “assault weapons” ban.

    Well, they’ve already “attempted”, so they may as well succeed. Voters don’t tend to like losers.

    Intrade’s up to 83 today.

  20. It was unconstitutional when the republicans did it as well.

    Nancy Pelosi thought so too, so she took the issue to court, and lost.

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