Democrats, please do more of this.
What was supposed to be a routine vote in the House—to knock down an amendment authored by [batshit insane confederate] conservative Republicans—turned into pandemonium on the House floor Friday, as Democrats tried to jam the plan through, and hang it around the GOP’s necks. The vote was on the Republican Study Committee’s alternative budget—a radical plan that annihilates the social contract in America by putting the GOP budget on steroids. Deeper tax cuts for the wealthy, more severe entitlement rollbacks.
Normally something like that would fail by a large bipartisan margin in either the House or the Senate. Conservative Republicans would vote for it, but it would be defeated by a coalition of Democrats and more moderate Republicans. But today that formula didn’t hold. In an attempt to highlight deep divides in the Republican caucus. Dems switched their votes—from “no” to “present.”
Panic ensued. In the House, legislation passes by a simple majority of members voting. The Dems took themselves out of the equation, leaving Republicans to decide whether the House should adopt the more-conservative RSC budget instead of the one authored by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan. As Dems flipped to present, Republicans realized that a majority of their members had indeed gone on the record in support of the RSC plan—and if the vote closed, it would pass. That would be a slap in the face to Ryan, and a politically toxic outcome for the Republican party.
So they started flipping their votes from “yes” to “no.” In the end, the plan went down by a small margin, 119-136. A full 172 Democrats voted “present.”
This is spectactular. And I demand for more. The problem with us Democrats (and I am a Democrat so I can say “us”) is that we are the responsible governing party. We are too nice and respectful. We take the job of service in government seriously and respect our institutions and even our colleagues across the chamber aisle. The reason for that is because we believe government is a force of good. So we speak in Roberts Rules of Order language and the like.
Meanwhile, for decades, the Republican Party has viewed government, even the government of the United States, as a force of evil, and thus Republicans treat all involved in government, no matter the station, with disrespect. (Yes, Republicans who get elected to office are treated with deferance and are later worshiped not because they are Presidents or Senators or Secretary of State, but because they are Republicans who did good.) With no respect for the institution, they have played parliamentary tricks for decades, tricks getting more outrageous as the years pass.
But I am the kind of Democrat that wants to destroy Republicans and their policies. Figuratively. Metaphorically. I want my party to treat Republicans as Republicans treat us. I want my party to be as devastating in messaging and tactics as the Republicans are, and I want whiny Democrats, who say that will just make us like the Republicans and we have to be better than them, to shut up.
So Nancy Pelosi, good job. At the risk of offending my female colleagues, the Democratic Leader in the House has a set on her.
Other Democrats, do this more often. As in, every fucking minute of the day.
Beautiful! and your commentary is spot on.
Trump loves “rattling the Birthers cages”, too funny.
The GOP is like the “Chicken Littles” always saying that the “Sky is Falling”, like the same ones that were the “Chicken Hawks” (“W” Wars), big talk no courage. The United States, favors creativity wherever it can be found. We’re apostles of prosperity and defenders of the free exchange of ideas and when more people in more countries are free to rise, to invent, to communicate, to dissent, it’s not the doom of United States leadership, its the triumph of the American way.
Generations have worked hard and sacrificed much for the country to reach this point (individuals and our unions!), and with further hard work and sacrifice (along with our relentless self-doubt) the United States will rise again, we do not tire and we are coming back, no matter what the “Chicken Littles” keep saying about our nation. Never Bet Against the United States!
Our current President travelled under a USA passport long before he was elected President, but I guess the quacky BIRTHERS, must believe that the USCIS – United States Passport was in on the lie, please, grow up, you are wrong! Remember when some contractors were busted during the “George W. Bush” administration for looking at our current President passport file (how quick you forget).
http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2008/03/20/obamas_passport_files_hacked/
The Birthers just HATE and can’t debate!
Have any of the quacky BIRTHERS presented any credible proof that will standup in court? Answer: No
Have any of the quacky BIRTHERS won any Court Cases? Answer: No
They are just mainly backward, uneducated, white people who HATE our half black President.
The majority of the voting public ask “where the proof”, show some proof BIRTHERS or the voting majority will continue to see you as dumb, stupid or racist, maybe all three. Can you blame them?
Still, I really hope one of these retreads and blowhards runs for president, not because they have a chance of winning but because I like to see the train wreck that they will cause.
Faux News Candidates:
former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin ”The I graduated Early”,
former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga. “The I Love The Interns”,
former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee “The Huckster Reverend”,
former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa. “The I Love the Gays”,
former UN Ambassador John Bolton “The I Love The War ”
I Finance Myself:
real estate celebrity developer, Donald Trump, “I took my Casino into Bankruptcy, just imagine where I can Take the US”
former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney “The Flip-Flopping Fudger”,
former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush “The I Am Not My “Dumb Ass” Brother”,
Employed Long Shots:
Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn. “The History, I Don’t Need No Stink’n History”,
Mississippi Gov./ former tobacco lobbyist, Haley Barbour “The last White Hope”
Can we start calling Boehner – General Disarray?
h/t Butters
Good things happen when Democrats stop giving cover to Republicans.
So why didn’t they (Dem Representatives) start voting Yes?
Voting yes would be voting FOR the bill. The point of the maneauver was to have the GOP pass that budget and run ads on it. You can’t very well do that if you voted for it too.
::facepalm::
I am shocked to discover democrats playing politics in Washington.
VC, Butters is Professor Chaos… his kindergarten sidekick is General Disarray…
also, why do the democrats have to be the minority party to have anything resembling balls?
Why do you guys keep equating balls with strength? Seems like there isn’t a more vulnerable part on a man – and I’ve lost count of the number of images I’ve seen on TV with men squirming on the ground holding their crotch and wailing. Just sayin’ boys.
first of all… it really really really hurts. and it’s funny when it’s someone else.
second, there was no intended sexism or anything like that.. i was using the vernacular that this male dominated society has conditioned me to use… my deepest apologies. 🙂
also i could have been talking about cannon balls in relation to a show of strength
I know Butters is Prof Chaos, but he also came up with the name of his sidekick. 🙂
My Mexican wrestling name is Huevos Fuerte!
Why do you guys keep equating balls with strength?
Science:
It is a well established meme that bigger balls mean more strength, even if it is not always literally true.
Yo anon, you wanna talk about testosterone?
Dig this!
I jogged home from my vasectomy.
Video of the vote is up on HuffPo. It is even more awesome when you can hear the sounds of Republican panic:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/15/house-democrats-republicans-budget_n_849715.html
Why terms for strenghth and weakness be gendered? We all know balls = strong, pussy = weak which equates to men strong, women weak. Why must we reinforce this?
The vulgarity lends extra emphasis, beyond simply calling someone weak or strong. It’s a cultural-linguistic thing.
Well, let’s just put it this way… if I’m threatened by a man I’m aiming my knee at his perceived strength. 😉
Pandora, UI…
It is a colorful metaphor, with sexist origins. But, I am applying it to praise a female leader, who, by the way, is and has been stronger and more intelligent in this game of politics than any man.