As recent legislative events will attest to, the Republicans in Congress aren't opposing President Barack Obama because there's a good reason for it, nor to protect or help our nation’s economy in any way. In my opinion, they're just nitpicking, verbally distracting, and trying to delay majority legislation because they’ve discovered that they still can.
It’s not obvious to the general public yet, but with only a few conservative Democrats defecting to the other side, it's become clear to the Republican minority that important legislation can’t possibly make it through both houses of Congress with a filibuster-proof margin, so they delay and publicly criticize, knowing the media will eat it up, which (they hope) should distract everyone from the obvious fact that the GOP tried it their way for eight years and wound us up in the situation we're in now.
Of even more interest is a complaint from Rep. John A. Boehner (OH) that the bill was passing without anyone reading it.
Uh, John, the bill is basically the same as it was three weeks ago — save a few alterations to soothe a few hesitant Republicans like you. If you or your staff haven't read it by now, you never will — not that you ever intended to. A better question would be how many bulky Republican bills have you hypocritically not read through?
With Republicans in both houses screaming bloody murder at the top of their lungs over the billions we have to spend to clean up President George W. Bush’s disastrous financial mess, maybe they are hoping we won’t remember how much we’ve spent in dollars and lives on a useless and unwarranted war in Iraq. A war, mind you, that our children's children will still be paying for decades from now, just like they claim the bailout will do.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Al Barger
Jet aks "GOPs in Congress Still Making Demands-Do They Know They Lost Election?"
Besides any other ridiculous presumptions in this article, this is just factually WRONG in the very title. Every one of those Republicans won their own elections. Most particularly every Republican member of the house won an election in 2008.
I'll note that my local congressman Mike Pence is quite popular and is definitely representing for a majority view in this district regarding these continuing bailouts. NO NO NO.
And OF COURSE the Democrats who have had control of Congress and the purse strings the last two years, and effectively for most of Bush's presidency were not responsible for any government policies in the current mess.
Damn that BusHitler.
2 - Arch Conservative
They know they lost. That doesn't mean they have to rollover for Barry.
Maybe the GOP has finally realized that the reason people like me abandoned them during the last election is because they have strayed so far from conservative fiscal principles. They're actually being fiscally conservative for the first time in a long time. I hope it's based on principle and not just a desire to play politics and oppose for the sake of opposing.
I don't see what all the hoopla is about. The Dems didn't need the repubs to pass this massive spending bill. They voted for it almost across the board as the gop voted against it almost across the board. So if it's the bill that's going to save us all the Dems should quit their bitching about lack of gop support, step up to the plate and take ownership. They're telling us how it will create 3 million new jobs..........well bully for them if it does...then they get to be the heros while the GOP.
But if the bill fails to affect any significant economic prosperity by the midterm elections the Dems are going to pay a hefty price. They control both houses of Congress and the White House. there's no one left to blame and while the mainstream media and people like Jet might allow Barry and company to blame anything and everything that goes wrong in the next four years on Bush, not enough will to save his sorry ass from a Carter like fate come 2012.
3 - Jet
Al,
A: this is an opinion piece, and just because you selfrighteously declare my conclusions wrong or ridiculous, DOES NOT make it so, that's just your MINORITY opinion... so don't presume to represent the rest of the general public-which you definately don't. If you did the Republicans would hold the White House and Congress-which you don't.
B: Despite how many Republicans won the election, they are STILL IN THE MINORITY, and despite your popular congressman, his and your litle corner of the country are still in the minority-that means the MAJORITY of the voting public obviously disagree with you-like it or not.
C: Again, as I pointed out before, your Bushit doesn't wash trying to blame democrats for the Bush years. They didn't have a majority sizable to overide Bush's vetos, nor were they elected to shut up Bushit republican filibustering of anything usable in terms of legislature. In order to pass any usable legislation, the Dems had to kiss that asshole Bush's ass, or fail in the trying.
President Obama has achieved more than any Republican president in only his first few weeks in office-a fact you can't dispute without more of your bushit.
I laugh at your ignorance.
4 - Roger Nowosielski
Jet,
Good for you that you're finally aboard. Believe you me, there's more of the same coming - sour grapes I mean - from Nally and friends. They're all frantic, trying to devise ways in which to undermine present efforts. But try as they may - and they all intent on sounding knowledgeable in matters economic - the truth of the matter is, they're scare shitless. No one can tell me that they KNOW what the future holds: past categories and understandings no longer apply.
Keep at it, buddy.
5 - Jet
This is terrifying, I almost agree with Arch, except on one important point. As long as a few defecting conservative democrats keep the aspect of a prolonged filibuster alive, we need the GOPs cooperation-and they know it and are laughing their asses off.
To constantly assert that the Democrats still have to get the GOPs cooperation, is false and misleading.
6 - Arch Conservative
President Obama has achieved more than any Republican president in only his first few weeks in office-a fact you can't dispute without more of your bushit.
He has? What are those acheivements?
7 - Roger Nowosielski
Jet,
I think you're putting too much faith in politics as it's presently practiced.
Believe it or not, the world is changing and America, if it continues on its present course, is a thing of the past.
It's time to think of other solutions. My upcoming article, by the way, the sequel to "The New World Order, Part I," delves into that.
It's about to get published.
8 - Arch Conservative
The last time I checked there was only one GOP in congress.
9 - Jet
From the Washington Post:
10 - Arch Conservative
So Jet...........
If this bill turns out to have a negative impact on our economy and unemployment and inflation continue to grow over the next two years is history going to remember Obama getting it through Congress as a major victory?
Because other than this bill all he's done in the past few weeks has been to make a decision that will see hundreds of terrorist sent to American soil, nominate a few tax cheats, and unsuccessfully attempt to hijack the census.
11 - Jet
Get back to me in two years Arch, when all your predictions can be denyed, then we'll judge history.
I swear some of your conclusions are about as ridiculous as denying caucasions driver's licenses because nearly all automobile accidents are caused by white people.
12 - Jet
As for jerimandering the census, nothing like that happened back in 2000 with the GOP congress...right?
13 - Jet
As for a terrorist attack during Obama's watch, uh 911 happened during Bush's watch and look how we all rallied around him (even me)
You don't think the same thing will happen for Obama?
Your arguments are about as stupid as trying to convince America that Obama wasn't a native citizen so he can't become president.
By the way is R&R one of your offspring or just a relative of H&C?
14 - Baritone
I tend to agree with MSNBC's Chris Matthews that the Dems should let the Reps filibuster if they choose. Ultimately, they will have to give in, and to do so would be finally admitting defeat. They run the risk of really being on the wrong side, if say, they had filibustered the Stimulus Bill, wasting valuable time, then only to see it do the job intended in the coming months.
I can clearly see that Obama's victory has been a good thing for all the cons here at BC. It gives them a clear target - one man on whom they can spew their venom. We had that advantage over the last 8 years. I say - let em wail. It's all meaningless BC BS.
B
15 - Arch Conservative
I notice you had no comment on Barry picking a tax cheat to head the treausry Jet.
The fact is that neither you nor I can predict with certainty what this package will do to us. You also seem to evade the idea that the economy is affected by things beyond a presidents control. You want to blame bush and credit Obama for everything that hasn't even happened yet and my arguments are stupid?
Stupid was Keith Olbermann's idea to have Jimmy Carter on his show last night and ask him how we should make the economy better.
16 - Jet
You are just a nit-picking fool Arch, trying to distract from any relevant point.
Do you actually believe that Obama had time to go through every single page of every single person he was going to nominate? Could you, you hypocrite?
How about holding yourself up to your own skewed standards-not likely!
So what your saying is that Obama secretly went out and courted tax cheats to sabotabe his own legacy? Is that what you want us to believe?
Are you really that niave? Do you really expect us to believe that?
17 - Baronius
Jet, both sides may have gerrymandered before, but no one's ever messed with the Census. The Obama team hasn't yet, and I'm really hoping they won't.
If the GOP were voting against their historic principles, I'd believe that they were being obstructionist. I was suspicious, for example, of the Republicans who complained about the former-Yugoslavia interventions in the Clinton years. But this is what they're supposed to do, voting against big budgets. They should be ashamed of everything they've done other than this vote.
18 - Arch Conservative
Do you actually believe that Obama had time to go through every single page of every single person he was going to nominate? Could you, you hypocrite?
No but if I had had found after the fact he was a tax cheat I would have kicked him to the curb and you know damn well if Bush had nominated a tax cheat to head the treasury you and every other moonbat would have been calling him corrupt. But it's nice to see the lengths to which you will go to excuse the behavior by your savior. You're a hypocrite and a liberal......gee there's a real novel combination.
19 - Clavos
...and unsuccessfully attempt to hijack the census.
He's not done yet, Arch. The Dems desperately want control of the Census Bureau so they can overturn the Constitutional requirement for an actual count and introduce census by "sampling," in order to inflate the numbers in groups which are traditionally their supporters.
That's one of the two main reasons (the other being the "Stimulus" plan) that Gregg declined his nomination for Commerce Secretary, and it will be one of the big fights of the next few months.
20 - Jet
I think it's irresponsible that the right is accusing him of messing with a census that hasn't even taken place for chrissake!
Anything to distract from his accomplishment.
Let's start screaming from the rooftops that the comet that's going to hit earth is Obama's fault for not properly funding NASA!
Let's blame the plane crash in Buffalo on Obama for not courting Air Traffic controllers enough, or supporting more expensive deicing research!
We, we, we could have a horific drought next year because Obama hasn't hired enough Indian rain dancers yet! and and and we'll have a terrible flood because he panicked and hired too many after reading this comment!
The rightwing protesters are getting downright ridiculous and more than a bit shrill.
Carefull, that gets old REAAAAALLLLLL fast
21 - Clavos
You're getting hysterical, Jet.
Take a deep breath and check your meds...
22 - Arch Conservative
For someone who's blamed everything bad in the last eight years on Bush you're awfully touchy Jet.
Obama's nothing but another crooked Chicago politician.
You can choose to take the cyanide capsule rather than face the stark reality that your faith in this hack was all for naught.
I don't really give a damn what you do.
23 - Jet
I didn't excuse anyone Arch, you're the one trying to convince us that Obama INTENTIONALLY nominated a tax cheat.
Nice to know that you're arrogant enough to believe we'd swallow that load of Bushit.
24 - Jet
Ah, if I make a relavant point, that makes me hysterical Clavos-because you say so. Wow, that must be a heavy burden you carry to be such a oft-pronouncing judge like that. To carry the weight of the fact that everyone waits with baited breath at your next pronouncement of reality.
I'm glad you're there for us my friend.
25 - bliffle
The GOPs are pursuing a dangerous course with this obstructionist ploy in congress. They risk being labeled as un-American for opposing a stimulus plan for the general citizen this year, when they were so eager to give carte blanche bailouts to bankers last year.
The D's have been polite so far, but it's going to happen that sooner or later some D will lash out at the R obstructionists, regardless of instructions from The Top.