I do not find prolonged debate and investigations wrong. I do find unwarranted politically motivated fillibusters, abuse of the 60 vote rule, backroom "deals", and legislative obstruction wrong, however.
On 1/5/11, THE ANNOINTED ONE <[email protected]> wrote: > Tommy, > > Please tell me why you find prolonged debate and investigations > wrong. > > Since the MAJORITY of Americans voted Republican in the last election > and given that the President is charged with direct representation of > the Majority of Americans why should the Republicans give ANY more > credence to his Democratic leanings than he has historically given to > them ?? > > On Jan 5, 1:55 pm, Tommy News <[email protected]> wrote: >> The New Grand Obstructionist Tea Party Republican Congress >> Begins....say hello to partisan gridlock, obstruction, investigations, >> the demonization of Unions, legislation to harm the poor and working >> class, efforts to make the President fail, and un-American bad >> behavior for the next two years! >> >> Most of the Republicans in both the House and the Senate voted against >> DADT repeal. I predict that they will now obstruct any further >> Progressive and pro-LGBT legislation for as long as they hold control >> of the House. We need to demonstrate and protest loudly. >> >> A polarized Congress in a US seeking pragmatism >> >> PHOTOS Previous Next >> Outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif. hands the gavel to the >> new House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio during the first session of the >> 112th Congress, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011, on Capitol Hill in >> Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) (Charles Dharapak - AP) >> >> House Speaker-desigante John Boehner of Ohio greets House members >> during the first session of the 112th Congress, on Capitol Hill in >> Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) >> (Charles Dharapak - AP) >> >> President Barack Obama pauses on the tarmac as he arrives at Andrews >> Air Force Base, Md.,, Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, as he returned from >> vacation in Hawaii. Col. Lee DePlao, commander of the 11th Wing, is >> second from left. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) (Carolyn Kaster - AP) >> Network NewsX Profile >> >> View More Activity >> >> TOOLBOX >> Resize Print E-mail Reprints >> COMMENT >> 0 Comments >> Your browser's settings may be preventing you from commenting on and >> viewing comments about this item. See instructions for fixing the >> problem. >> Discussion Policy CLOSEComments that include profanity or personal >> attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed >> from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain >> "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. >> Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our >> posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other >> policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing >> commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the >> content that you post. >> >> By LIZ SIDOTI >> The Associated Press >> Wednesday, January 5, 2011; 2:32 PM >> >> WASHINGTON -- There's an inherent conflict in the country's new >> political reality: a much more polarized Congress must answer to an >> increasingly powerful center of the electorate that abhors >> partisanship or risk its wrath in 2012. >> >> Much like President Bill Clinton after his party's disastrous 1994 >> elections, President Barack Obama now has the chance to shift to the >> middle as leaders on Capitol Hill struggle to strike a balance between >> the desires of ideological purists in their ranks and the independent, >> centrist voters who played a significant role in electing them. >> >> For Republicans and Democrats, that task began Wednesday when the new >> Congress was sworn in; Republicans assumed control of the House and >> padded their numbers in the Democratic-led Senate. >> >> "There's going to be politics. That's what happens in Washington. They >> are going to play to their base for a certain period of time. But I'm >> pretty confident that they're going to recognize that our job is to >> govern . My hope is that John Boehner and Mitch McConnell will realize >> that there will be plenty of time to campaign for 2012 in 2012," Obama >> said this week about GOP leaders in the House and Senate, casting >> himself as the compromiser in chief even while maneuvering for his >> upcoming re-election. >> >> The president's tone was in stark contrast to his first two years when >> he leveraged large Democratic majorities in Congress - and thwarted >> Republicans - to enact sweeping laws, including an economic stimulus >> measure and revamps of the health care and financial regulatory >> systems, that independents greeted skeptically if not derisively. >> After backing him heavily in his presidential bid, they punished him >> in November by ending one-party rule in Washington. >> >> Now, with no serious Democratic primary challenger emerging to siphon >> support from his liberal base, Obama already has begun moving to the >> center. As 2010 ended, he compromised with Republicans to reach >> bipartisan deals on tax cuts that paved the way for a rush of end of >> year legislation, including repealing the ban on gays openly serving >> in the military as well as a new nuclear treaty with Russia. >> >> It's clear the 2012 elections are in everyone's sights with obvious >> objectives: Obama needs to win back middle-of-the-road voters, and >> Republicans need to keep them happy, or at least not anger them. >> >> Their power was strongly felt in the last three elections. In 2006 and >> 2008, independents furious with Republican governance gave Democrats >> power in Congress and the White House. By 2010, these voters had grown >> disillusioned by Democratic rule and sided with the GOP. >> >> And their sway is only growing. >> >> Today, more Americans are identifying themselves as independent while >> majorities of the country view both the Democratic and Republican >> parties unfavorably. Disaffected Republican and Democratic operatives >> are forming groups to advocate on behalf of - if not organize - >> unaffiliated voters, indicating that momentum may be building among >> the center for increased political action. >> >> So, given all that, how did the Republican and Democratic caucuses in >> Congress end up so much more conservative and liberal? >> >> The two-party American political system produces polarization in >> Congress. Both the Republican and the Democratic parties hold >> primaries to choose general election candidates. Those nominating >> contests are dominated by the most vocal, active party members - >> conservatives and liberals who tend to support like-minded people. >> >> Last year, that situation was even more pronounced as the tea party >> coalition roiled GOP primaries and produced Republican nominees who >> were far more conservative than usual. >> >> Now, the House Republican roster includes some seven dozen tea >> party-backed lawmakers and other staunch conservatives. And moderate >> "Blue Dog" Democrats are virtually extinct; scores lost their >> swing-voting districts in a coast-to-coast GOP wave. >> >> "Compromise is a dirty word to the new members of Congress and a vital >> word to the people they were sent to represent," said Matt Bennett, a >> former Clinton aide and a vice president of the centrist Democratic >> group Third Way. "It's a more polarized House representing an >> electorate that is really seeking moderation. There's a big disconnect >> between their caucuses and their voters." >> >> The Senate is arguably less polarized than the House; Democrats >> succeeded in limiting the number of GOP takeaways to six. Still, new >> Republican senators include tea party-supported Rand Paul of Kentucky >> and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, as well as conservatives Pat Toomey of >> Pennsylvania and Marco Rubio of Florida. >> >> From the outset, it's clear that Boehner is trying to strike a balance >> between his constituents and his members. >> >> "This is the people's house. This is their Congress. It's about them, >> not us," Boehner said after he took the gavel as speaker. >> >> Still, in a nod to his caucus' right flank, he scheduled a vote next >> week on repealing the health care law. Republicans don't expect to >> kill it. It makes sense for them not to; the GOP wants to run against >> health care in 2012 and that important constituency - independents - >> prefer that the law be changed, not repealed. House leaders facing >> demands from the right to immediately cut spending also indicated they >> wanted to cut $100 billion from the federal budget. But it didn't take >> long before GOP leaders bowed to the reality of governing and scaled >> back their goal. >> >> Come February, during debate over a massive spending bill to keep the >> government running, the country will see how successful Boehner has >> been at keeping the right in line and how much Obama is willing to >> compromise. >> >> The challenge for Boehner is to avoid what happened after the 1994 >> Republican Revolution when the GOP took control of Congress. >> >> Back then, House Speaker Newt Gingrich failed to keep his >> rabble-rousing conservative warriors in line, leading to a government >> shutdown. Clinton came out on top, and handily won re-election in >> 1996. >> >> Obama already has signaled a desire to go the route of Clinton, >> signaling a willingness to work with Republicans on several issues, >> including trade deals with Colombia and Panama as well as the >> reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind education act. >> >> On Day 1 of the new Congress, the fight for middle-of-the-road voters >> was well under way. It won't end until November 2012. >> >> More:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/05/AR201... >> >> -- >> Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. >> Have a great day, >> Tommy > > -- > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. > For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum > > * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ > * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. > * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -- Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. Have a great day, Tommy -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
