Who will be the first "conservative" to. . .

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

I understand why you hear that...

...but you're wrong. Please ignore blowhards like Chris Matthews. And allow me a counter-example.

The government shutdown was the result of bull-headedness in the House GOP. The Dems, and Obama, were already willing to agree to continued spending cuts. Compromises were ready. Some of the House Repubs were even on board. If the rumors are true (and in politics, at least, they usually are), there were enough votes in the House to pass a budget, but Boehner refused to let it come to a vote because he was shackled by the Tea Party who refused to compromise on anything - particularly their desire to defund Obamacare. This, despite the fact that the Dems controlled not only the White House, but the Senate, as well. The Tea Party in the House was essentially demanding that all other branches of government bow down to their desires. That's not democratic governance. And it's not compromise.

I'm not saying everyone else is trying to play nice and these few bad apples are ruining it for everyone. But the Republicans in the Senate held up more of Obama's nominations than even Bush had to suffer under the Dems, and you add that to the intransigent whining of the House Tea Partiers, and it begins to paint a picture to me. And that picture is that the Republican Party, at least during the second Obama administration, has been the source of much of this gridlock.

goat

 

[Noodle]

what do you mean? they've already been doing that for 2 years in the Senate


Over 300 bills passed by the House are sitting on Dirty Harry's desk.

 

[VanPastorMan]

Didn't Harry Reid change the rules concerning fillibuster last yr? nt

nt

 

[IU1]

both parties should have learned a lesson last night

You don't follow blind party loyalty and ideology because it will eventually get you fired. Obama was able to fool a lot of people in 2010 with catchy Obamacare slogans and ideological over promised. Those promises came back to haunt a lot of Democrats last nite, which I predicted back in 2010. The Democrats who voted on Christmas Eve for a bill that won't ever lower healthcare costs, won't lower insurance rates, and implemented the punitive tax portion before the "benefits" got fired last night.

The economy has more people out of work with no quality job creation and this has been going on for 6 years. The American people voted to try something else and the Republicans need to put real policy change and cost cutting measures on Obama's desk to demonstrate who the real obstructionist is.

All members of congress need to start voting for what's right for the American people and not for some ideology by a person who doesn't have the skill set to implement any of his rhetoric. The republican have some blind sheep too and it's time Congress grows up and starts acting like adults.

 

[crazed_hoosier2]

But it isn't just Chris Matthews!

Thus my example about Rubio. He wasn't negotiating with Chris Matthews. He was negotiating with Charles Schumer. Now, Rubio got rolled and that's nobody's fault but his....and he's paying a price for it.

But, the point is: they didn't even give Rubio the one thing he said he'd have to have. And Schumer knew full well what Rubio was wanting.

So don't just brush off what Chris Matthews said because of who said it last night. I'd say it's a safe bet he was speaking for a lot of Democrats on that specific point.

 

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

Eh.

That's fine. Your example was a valid one. When I say I lay most of the blame at the House GOP's feet, that could be 50%+1 and still be true.

I'll tell you this. For the past two elections I've been beginning to think, and I expect this thought to grow for the next two years, that maybe we do need Congressional term limits after all. I've always been opposed to them, but we now have a situation where the majority of people in Congress are elected safely despite not getting anything done.

goat

 

[MyTeamIsOnTheFloor]

Re: Let's be clear about the problem...It's Harry.Reid.

The political process DEMANDS that bills be voted on.

Harry hates the Constitution.

 

[bawlmer]

For executive branch and judicial nominees.


I doubt the Dems would filibuster those over the next 2 years anyway. Otherwise, 60 votes to stop a Senate filibuster.

 

[hootch1]

Minor clrification -

the Supremes can still be filibustered.

 

[mjvcaj]

That helps, thanks

I was referring to the personal property in the second part of my question.

Interesting mechanics in OH.

 

[Sope Creek]

I'll believe that the GOP is serious about repealing Obamacare . . .

when I see it. The reason the economy is as healthy as it is - and it is healthy, getting more so every day - is that we've had relative stability for the last 3 years because of the gridlock in Washington. Business people can rely on governmental policies, and can plan.

Repeal Obamacase and watch the ensuing chaos kick the economy and the GOP to the curb 4 years from now . . . .

 

[Sope Creek]

Keystone is actually a really interesting question these days . . .

with the price of crude dropping to below $80 a barrel and heading further south, especially if Saudi Arabia keeps dropping its price to put US competitors underwater. We're already near levels that will put the Montana producers on the shelf, and not far from price levels that make oil sands and some shale oil deposits more costly than the oil's worth.

So we're going to approve a pipeline that is supposed to serve oil production that might go out of business soon . . . why?

Forget the environmental issues - which only make disapproval of Keystone a slam dunk no brainer instead of a plain-old no brainer when the economics ain't right. And the economics really aren't right any more . . . it'd be a pipeline to nowhere instead of a bridge to nowhere, and it would threaten the largest aquifer on the continent to boot.

So other than chutzpah, why do we need Keystone given the economics of oil these days?

 

[NPT]

That's a good idea.*

>>

 

[DougS]

Four years from now?

Two more likely - and I agree. The ACA can be tweaked, and it should be tweaked - through the legislative process.

 

[Yougotme]

The gains weren't just at the Federal level on Tuesday...

Of the 98 state legislatures in the US, 59 were GOP controlled. They picked up 8 more Tuesday.