This is old news, of course, the GOP have consistently, since the inception of the war, voted down funding and programs that benefit the troops but why this time did the democratic majority allow it? In yesterday’s vote for the Webb amendment to allow the troops as much time at home as they are deployed failed after receiving a majority vote of 56 to 43.
Such a requirement, by the way, is already a tremendous compromise. The Pentagon brass usually requires twice as much rest as deployment. But Webb’s compromise required only half that much rest. Still, Republicans said no. Our troops — including our “one weekend a month” National Guardsmen — must be required to spend more time in combat than out. So that the rest of us can all shop, watch TV, cut taxes, or take a “wide stance” if we feel like it. (emphasis mine)
So why aren’t the papers reporting on the Republican intransigence in the Senate? Why aren’t they telling everyone how they’re ordering troops stressed to the breaking point back into combat while they busy themselves smoothing their pocket squares? Why aren’t they publishing screaming headlines about the sheer gall of yesterday’s Republican filibuster?
Because there was no Republican filibuster. That’s why.
Instead, the reason the Webb amendment failed even though it got 56 votes was that Senators agreed by unanimous consent that the amendment should have to get 60 votes to pass, even without a filibuster.
Honestly, what the hell is going on? What difference is there between republicans and democrats? Do we really on have a one party system?
As I have stated before the troops will soon have to take matters into their own hands because Congress isn’t doing its job.
I apologize, magix, for intimating that you do not do anything. Good god, it was me that went on minuet after agonizing minuet telling an audience about your escapades. How soon you forget.
So magix, what are you doing to lite a fire in congress, do you call every day as my wife does, do you write your congressmen and other key people, do you get active in a political party. I t does no good to just keep preaching to the choir as we are wont to do. And looking for a third party candidate is the worst thing . A strong progressive third party candidate would assure a Republican victory…do you really want that. Are you listening, excuuuuuuus me.
I thought I explained in my last comment about the war, as sad as it is, we are at the mercy of George, and his Republican stalwarts, and please don’t tell me to just impeach him. What good would that do, he would never get convicted in the senate.. it takes a two third vote, that 67. can you find 17 Republicans that would vote to convict. And excuuuse me, you need to calm down… maybe tea and apple pie would help
In the words of Senator Mike Gravel, people, our kids are dying every day – a fire needs to be lit to get Congress to try and save some of them
I don’t give a flying fuck what GEORGE thinks, what GEORGE SAYS, what GEORGE wants! He’s in the gutter, and the Dems are even lower. What the hell are they so damn cowardly about? I’m an old, fat woman, and I’d take any of these shitheads on, one on one. My freedoms, our kids lives ,are worth every ounce of breath left in me. You can’t keep pimping them! . We can do NOTHING, NOTHING, because this occupation is bankrupting this country. NOTHING will change until the hemorraging of our resources stops. Period. I don’t want to hear about silly little, non-productive hearings, what the hell has that done? Any subpoenas? NO! Any convictions? NO Any empeachments or removal from office? NO! But, hey, Waxmans’ pissed and he’s GONNA HAVE ANOTHER DAMN HEARING! WHOOPEE! I don’t want to HEAR about anything other than changing this shit! And I’m not willing to wait until next June, which is what the Republicans are telling the Dems they have to do. Screw it, we don’t have that much time left. And I’m not one damn bit scared of what the Republicans tell me I should be scared about. This is my damn country, my ancestors fought for my freedoms since BEFORE the Revolutionary War and all they way up to today, and I will fight to keep my grandchildrens’ freedoms intact. We are going to have to do it ourselves, we have a ONE PARTY SYSTEM. I will not let anyone tell me we have a two party system any longer, it’s gone folks, gone! And I, for one, will no longer support it. The voters of this country created this monster, let THEM feed their monster. I will support any third party candidate that stops this war, because we cannot fix anything in this country, not Social Sec., not Medicare, not the entire medical system, not our schools, not our bridges, not our infrastructure, because there is no gawd damned money to do anything until this occupation, and the ass-holes that support it are stopped, and I mean STOPPED NOW!
That may be so, magix, but it’s the rhetoric that I hear now, that I did not hear then. I just don’t think you have given enough time for the committee results to surface, and I think you put too much emphasis on the war . Yes it is the worst thing, an abomination, but for the most part the Democrats hands are tied on that, especially in the senate. If the house decided to stop funding, what would that accomplish. It would not stop the war , or bring our guy’s home. There is enough money in the pipeline and other monies, that George could get his hands on to keep it going until he’s out of office. And he would have a field day with that scenario. Can’t you just hear him saying how the Democrats are denying the troops supplies , and food, and anything else he could think of. But you can be sure he would stay the course. There is no good answer to end this war, except to pass a resolution with a time line, and that’s not going to happen until the Republicans in the senate cave.
The Democrats are working hard and getting done what they can, a lot more than the Republican press gives them credit for. Yes I am disappointed in our leadership, because they are not standing tall.
I hope you will have more patience, and again work to get more Dems elected , especially in the senate. This is doable, I see at least a switch of six seats and as many of twelve in the senate.
Right on … excuuuuuuuse me. You’re who I was thinking about.
I guess this makes me a, Gawd forbid:
A DITTO HEAD
Ah, that is not true! I was very vocal about my opposition to the GOP and worked very hard to get Dems voted in across the country. That is why I am so mad, buck, they are making those of us who voted them in, worked for them, donated cash, time, energy and all our hopes into them and they are making us look like chumps for doing so! That is why I am so angry
Well at least our own Wyden voted against condemning the Move On.org add.
Once a leader is chosen in the senate you’re pretty well stuck with him, unless he commits a crime or gets voted out.
You’re expecting too much, from the poor beleaguered Democrats. I didn’t hear you or any of your ilk go after the Republicans like you’re doing now.
Yes, they should! They should have been screaming about the treatment of Rev Yearwood and they should not have acquiesced on the Petreaus ad… but there you are. So you blame it all on Reid… then why is he the leader?
There was a gentleman’s agreement, quite a few terms ago, in order to alleviate the need to actually filibuster, and to accomplish the same thing by merely saying so. This is not new, by any means, but the Republicans have taken it to new height’s with 88 cloture votes this term. You make it sound that they did it just for this Webb amendment. The Democrats were using it against the Republican bill’s when they had control. It is sad that the press is not covering it as Republican obstructionism, but instead saying just anothe Democratic failure. Democrats should be screaming to high heavens about it.