The Obama admin's soft coup is now a matter of public record yet the media MUST ignore that white elephant in the room since they were active participants . So many lies and leaks were required to accomplish this goal some were bound be be exposed. Lets define a soft coup.
From Wikipedia
A soft coup that manifested itself in different ways. Disguised and distorted but in full view. Watching some of it over time has been fascinating.
The Flynn documents and the 'Russia collusion' transcripts are further eye openers. The first and best hidden gem from the transcripts. There is no proof the Russians hacked the DNC servers.
A little more background on Crowdstrike and their connections to the Clinton/DNC machine.
Not only were the claims of Russia hacking the DNC never proven much more evidence indicates the DNC information was leaked.
Not only was the Russia hacking story BS, the Democrats and their media allies would continue the Clinton campaign strategy of attacking Trump on Russia but now the story would be Trump-Putin collusion. To make that connection stick Trump associates like Michael Flynn would be targeted next.
Podesta email
Target Flynn using dangerous and dirty leaks requiring top level access and authority
Yet with all of the spying, the Obama admin and the alphabet agencies really found NOTHING.
Not only was Flynn railroaded but it appears to be at the behest of Barack Obama.
Corrupt FBI agants like Peter Strzok abuse his office and the FISA process. Footsoldiers in the Flynn Flim Flam.
FBI agents with FISA court connections would help .... Even better a personal connection with Michael Flynn's judge, a daily double.
The same FBI agent Peter Strzok who made it possible for Hillary Clinton to avoid espionage charges and was placed on the Mueller probe too .....
Of course, the FBI can be a little and conveniently and curiously careless too ....
Glad tne Inspector General could find them
Along with spying and lying comes leaking. The top FBI agents helped leak and spin the story.
The Steele dossier made the FISA warrants poosible agains the Trump campaign. Making the phoney Steele dossier public was the job of CIA's John Brennan and the Democrat Senator Harry Reid.
The discredited dossier, some hacks still argue it is 'proven'
Sen. Harry Reid and Dem Leadership were in on the LIEs pushed by CIA's Brennan
The despicable GOP Senator John McCain was another peddler of lies known as FusionGPS's Steele dossier.
Consider this Cliff's Notes on the lies knows as Russia Russia Russia and the media's eagerness to parrot the anti-Trump narrative for years. Barack the abuser of power and process is not aa acceptable narrative thus paving the way for Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton to continue to get a pass as well. If this is news to you you might want to change your news channel.
Dems vs. GOP: Leaders nuke it out in fight over voting rule change
By Ramsey Cox
-
07/11/13 10:38 AM ET
Senate leaders exchanged fire on Thursday as Democrats headed behind
closed doors to make a decision on whether to trigger the "nuclear
option."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Thursday warned the
"nuclear option" would be the "end of the Senate" and accused Democrats
of creating a "phony crisis" to move through President Obama's
nominees.
Changing Senate rules through a majority vote "would
violate every protection of minority rights that have defined the United
States Senate for as long as anyone can remember," McConnell said.
“This
Pandora’s Box, once opened, will be utilized again and again by future
majorities — and it will make the meaningful consensus-building that has
served our nation so well a relic of the past," McConnell said on the
Senate floor.
Democrats in 2005 on the 'nuclear option'
But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Republicans have broken their promise,
made earlier this year, to work with Democrats on Obama’s second-term
Cabinet nominees.
“Republicans
have turned advise and consent into deny and obstruct,” Reid said. “This gridlock is not only bad for the Senate, it’s
bad for the country.”
Reid said he planned to file cloture on some of Obama’s nominees later Thursday, setting up a final showdown next week.
Liberal
groups and labor unions are pushing Reid to change Senate rules on
presidential appointments, arguing a limit on the use of the filibuster
is needed to counter Republican obstruction.
Reid and McConnell spar.
Harry Reid- No nuclear option as long as he is the leader.
Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is the problem in the Senate.
Senate Republicans say the move would trigger a meltdown in relations and trample the rights of the minority.
The
issue is coming to a head on Thursday at a meeting of Senate Democrats
where they plan to make a decision about whether to "go nuclear."
Republicans on Thursday seemed to make an attempt to lower the temperature and dissuade Reid from changing the rules.
McConnell
said Republicans would not prevent two of Obama’s nominations —
Environmental Protection Agency nominee Gina McCarthy and Labor
Department nominee Tom Perez — from moving forward.
“Both of these highly controversial nominees already have enough votes to clear a 60-vote hurdle,” McConnell said.
And
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) suggested to Reid that the parties hold a
joint caucus lunch next week to try and resolve their differences.
Harry Reid has been at the helm of the Senate since the Dems took over in 2006. His hypocrisy and abuse of power as Majority Leader (filling the amendment tree and proforma sessions) and willingness to push the party election narrative at the expense of the American people makes him a star in the Democrat party. With the leftist media as a megaphone, Harry Reid and the Democrats will repeat their simple 'messages' to sway the low information voter.
Democrats vote Steve King ‘most clueless’ Republican
The Democrats have crowned their King.
Democratic members of
congress voted Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) the House’s “most clueless
Republican,” at a private Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
dinner Tuesday night, an aide said.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) and the Senate Agenda - Demonize the House GOP
At the closed-door event, members were shown a video highlighting
Republicans’ “tone-deaf” moments, then given a ballot to vote for the
most clueless. Contenders included Arizona Rep. Trent Franks, Texas
Reps. Louie Gohmert and Michael Burgess, Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman,
Georgia Rep. Phil Gingrey, Kansas Rep. Tim Huelskamp, Michigan Rep. Tim
Walberg and Alaska Rep. Don Young, according to the DCCC aide.
Showing the video, DCCC Chairman Steve Israel told the roughly 100 members in attendance the Republicans were “crazy.”
“There is nothing more important about the stakes of this election
than what you just saw – they’re in the majority, they’re running this
Congress and they’re crazy. And their craziness and chaos is
unacceptable to this country – and it’s our job to send them packing,”
Israel said.
The DCCC says it will be rolling out a similar campaign to allow supporters to vote regularly on Republican comments.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced late Thursday
that the Senate would complete work drafting a GOP border security
amendment on Friday.
Reid had been delaying adjournment for the
evening in hopes that the GOP border security amendment from Sens. Bob
Corker (R-Tenn.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) would be completed, but he
said it was “senseless” to continue work Thursday night.
Instead
to Senate will continue work on the Border Security, Economic
Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Friday at 10:30 a.m.
Senators Jeff Sessions & Mike Lee Discuss Immigration Bill and Amendments
Reid is expected to file cloture on the Gang of Eight’s bill in addition to the Corker-Hoeven amendment.
The
bipartisan group of eight senators, known as the Gang of Eight,
introduced S. 744, which would create a pathway to citizenship for
illegal immigrants already in the country, toughen border security,
create a guest worker program and boost high-skilled immigration.
In
the underlying bill, an e-verify system and entry-exit system at air
and sea ports must be in place before anyone is given a green card. The
amendment from Hoeven and Corker would also require construction of 700
miles of southern border fencing, the purchase of more than $3 billion
in new technology for border security, and the hiring of 20,000 more
border patrol agents mandatory before green cards are issued. The
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would have 10 years to implement
those requirements.
Republicans had complained that the original
bill made too many “promises” that were dependant on DHS drafting a
plan. With the Corker-Hoeven amendment certain border security measures
must be included in the DHS border security plan.
The Senate
considered only 12 amendments to the comprehensive bill, most of which
were GOP amendments aimed at ensuring border security measures occurred
before any immigrants were granted legal status — those failed.
The
Senate is expected to pass the immigration bill next week. Reid has
said the bill needs to be complete before the July 4th recess.
Obstructionist Harry Reid Plays Politics With Senate Bills & Filibuster
Cornyn expresses ‘shock and amazement’ at Corker-Hoeven border enforcement amendment
"After his controversial border security amendment was shot down
during today’s Senate session, Sen. John Cornyn was visibly bewildered
as Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker and North Dakota Republican Sen.
John Hoeven took to the chamber floor to propose alternative
legislation that demands even tougher enforcement.
While Cornyn said the Corker-Hoeven proposal “moved this bill in a
constructive direction,” he questioned how the amendment differed from
his own to garner the support of Gang of Eight legislators — including
Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, who slammed Cornyn’s amendment last week on the Senate floor."
"The amendment was tabled 54-43, “disparaged as a budget-buster,” Cornyn said.
To what Cornyn described as his “shock and amazement,” the
Corker-Hoeven proposal requires an additional 350 miles of border
fencing (on top of the 350 miles already required in the underlying
bill) and even more border patrol agents — a whopping 20,000.
“How is it going to be paid for?” Cornyn asked Hoeven.
Hoeven said $30 billion of what a Congressional Budget Office study
released Tuesday projected to be a $197 billion surplus in government
revenue generated by the bill would be used to implement the enforcement
measures.
South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said the bill would
“create economy growth in the country” — “Take the CBO’s word for it,”
he urged."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) called freshman GOP Sen.
Ted Cruz (R-Texas) a “schoolyard bully” during a contentious exchange
Monday on the Senate floor.
The two senators bickered as Cruz rose to object to Reid’s motion to appoint conferees to a House-Senate budget committee.
Cruz said he was concerned that the conference report—which cannot be
filibustered—would be used to raise the nation’s debt ceiling. He asked
that Reid amend his motion to go to conference to make out of order any
provisions raising taxes or raising the debt ceiling.
Reid said Cruz had a chance to amend the Senate budget—which raises $975
billion in new tax revenue from tax reform—when it was considered on
the floor.
He said Cruz’s request to eliminate all taxes in a final House-Senate budget was absurd.
“The senator from Texas was on the losing side…now he wants us to adopt
the losing side’s view or we cannot go to conference,” Reid said.
“My friend from Texas is like a schoolyard bully,” Reid added.
"He pushes everybody around and is losing and instead of playing
the game according to the rules, he not only takes the ball home with
him, but he changes the rules that way no one wins except the bully who
tries to indicate to people that he has won."
Cruz, a Tea Party darling whose rhetoric has sometimes raised eyebrows
among Republicans, shot back that “I wasn’t aware we are in the
schoolyard.”
Reid cut him off saying “enough.”
Cruz is a rising GOP star whose speaking engagements have some thinking he is plotting a presidential run in 2016.
This is the second time Republicans have blocked an effort to go to conference on the budget.
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) last month objected to a conference on behalf of
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the ranking member of the Budget
Committee.
“Why are my Republican colleagues so afraid?” Reid asked Monday in
making his request. “We have our differences but Democrats aren’t afraid
to work out those differences.”
Reid accused the GOP of “whining” about the Senate not producing a
budget for four years and then refusing to bring about a conference.
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said that he wants a
framework agreement before convening a conference committee. Such a
framework could facilitate a down payment on the debt, he said.
Ramsey Cox contributed to this story.
Harry Reid on Raising the Budgets and the Debt Ceiling 2006
Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid- The Obstructionist
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is giving Republican
colleagues 36 hours to agree to a deal on filibuster reform or he will
move forward with the nuclear option.
“I hope in the next 24, 36
hours we can get something we agree on. If not, we’re going to move
forward on what I think needs to be done,” Reid told reporters.
Reid’s trump card in negotiations with Senate Republican Leader Mitch
McConnell (Ky.) is the threat he will change Senate rules with a simple
majority vote, a tactic known as the nuclear option. This maneuver would
allow Reid to change the Senate rules with a simple majority vote,
something that has never been done, according to parliamentary experts.
Critics
call it the nuclear option but proponents, such as Sen. Tom Udall
(D-N.M.) say it is more accurate to describe it as the “Constitutional
option” because the Constitution empowers each chamber to set its own
rules.
Reid predicted the Democratic caucus would support him in reforming the Senate’s filibuster rule unilaterally.
Obstructionist Harry Reid Plays Politics With Senate Bills & Filibuster
If
he did so, he would likely implement a relatively modest change, such
as eliminating the filibuster on motions to proceed to new business.
Reid said talks with McConnell are not close to a resolution.
“We’re making progress. Not done yet, we got a long way to go,” he told reporters while walking into the Senate chamber.
A
senator briefed on the talks said it appears McConnell will have
trouble rounding up enough Republican votes to support any deal he
forges with Reid. Changing the rules under regular order requires 67
votes. Reforming Senate procedures through a standing order would need
60 votes.
A Democratic aide said McConnell could have difficulty
mustering 12 Republicans to vote to change the standing rules under
regular order.
No-Budget Barack Obama and Harry Reid lack any credibility when it comes to this nation's budget process and the debt ceiling. While the main stream press will spoon-feed the dependent-hyphenated-American Obama supporter a legacy-sustaining myth, videos and quotes and facts will have to do for the rest of us. Here are the two top Democrat Leaders, (pic) Barack Obama and Harry Reid share their thoughts on spending and the debt ceiling below. Text and Video follow:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Harry Reid on raising the debt ceiling in 2006:
“If my Republican friends believe that
increasing our debt by almost $800 billion today and more than $3
trillion over the last five years is the right thing to do, they should
be upfront about it. They should explain why they think more debt is
good for the economy.
How can the Republican majority in this
Congress explain to their constituents that trillions of dollars in new
debt is good for our economy? How can they explain that they think it’s
fair to force our children, our grandchildren, our great grandchildren
to finance this debt through higher taxes. That’s what it will have to
be. Why is it right to increase our nation’s dependence on foreign
creditors?
They should explain this. Maybe they can
convince the public they’re right. I doubt it. Because most Americans
know that increasing debt is the last thing we should be doing. After
all, I repeat, the Baby Boomers are about to retire.
Under the circumstances, any credible economist would tell you we
should be reducing debt, not increasing it.Democrats won’t be making
argument to supper this legalization, which will weaken our country.
Weaken our county.”
The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit
is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government
can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing
financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s
reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us
domestically and internationally. Leadership means that “the buck stops
here.” Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today
onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt
problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.
Of Course, not to be outdone by this
Obama in 2008: Adding $4 Trillion to National Debt ‘Unpatriotic
(CNSNews.com) – Although
the national debt under President Barack Obama has increased $4
trillion since he took office in 2009, as a presidential candidate in
2008 Obama criticized then-President George W. Bush for adding $4
trillion to the national debt, saying it was “unpatriotic” and also
“irresponsible” to saddle future generations with such a large national
debt.
“The
problem is, is that the way Bush has done it over the last eight years
is to take out a credit card from the Bank of China in the name of our
children, driving up our national debt from $5 trillion dollars for the
first 42 presidents -- number 43 added $4 trillion dollars by his
lonesome, so that we now have over $9 trillion dollars of debt that we
are going to have to pay back -- $30,000 for every man, woman and
child,” Obama said on July 3, 2008, at a campaign event in Fargo, N.D.
The finger-pointing will increase as the Senate and House ends the session and head home to campaign. Barack Obama will be the first president in history to not have a budget during his ENTIRE TERM in Office. The Democrats and Harry Reid hide behind the Continuing Budget Resolutions and the Budget Act as fulfilling that requirement. Harry Reid's own parliamentarian ruled that he must pass a budget this year. He declined.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Senate Majority Leader has made changes in debate and amending legislation since taking over as Senate Majority in 2006. The blocking of the Republicans from the democratic process and the ability to represent their voters can be best explained in Harry Reid's own words. Earlier in the same year (2006) when he the was the Minority Whip he said this on "filling the amendment tree".
Of course even a good bill can be improved. That is why we have
an amendment process in the Senate. The junior Senator from Wisconsin
has tried to offer a small number of relevant amendments that I
believe would make this bill even better. I am disappointed that
he has been denied that opportunity by a procedural maneuver known
as ‘‘filling the amendment tree.’’ This is a very bad practice. It
runs against the basic nature of the Senate. The hallmark of the
Senate is free speech and open debate. Rule XXII establishes a
process for cutting off debate and amendments, but rule XXII should
rarely be invoked before any amendments have been offered. There is no reason to truncate Senate debate on this important bill in this unusual fashion. I will vote against cloture to register my objection to this flawed process.
Data as of 05/28/2012 article
According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), Majority Leader Reid has employed this tactic a record 59 times. He has used it to block minority input into legislation 50 percent more often than the past five Majority Leaders combined.
The minority’s only option under these circumstances is to oppose
ending debate on legislation (known as “invoking cloture”) in order
to convince the majority to allow it to offer amendments to the
legislation and thereby represent the interests of their
constituents. (data as of 05/28/2012 post)
The False Narrative of Republican Filibusters
Republicans have been accused
of abusing the filibuster to thwart Democratic legislation. This claim
is based on the incorrect equation of filibusters with the number of
cloture petitions filed or the number of cloture votes taken. In short, a
cloture petition does not a filibuster make. A filibuster, however,
happens when an attempt to end debate fails. Successfully ending debate
is the opposite of a filibuster.
It only takes a quick glance at the count of
cloture votes, however, to realize that Republicans are not obstructing
with the filibuster. In fact, the percentage of cloture petitions
withdrawn or vitiated has increased to 43 percent this Congress.
This is significantly higher than the average for the previous four
decades, and the highest for any Congress in 25 years. Additionally, the
percentage of cloture votes passing – that is, invoking cloture – is
also rising. The 53 percent success rate for passing cloture votes in
the 112th Congress is the highest in the last 40 years. These figure
show that any increased incidence in cloture filings is due to the
Majority’s impulsiveness—its preference for filing cloture first and
asking the Minority to work with it later—rather than an unwillingness
of Senate Republicans to work with Senate Democrats. (data 05/28/2012) Senate Democrats Choose Dysfunction OVER Solutions
The Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the left now use the Republican's cloture and filibuster votes to push the 'obstructionist Republican' MEME and the 'one term president' Mitch McConnell MEME.
Mitch McConnell and the Republican 'conspiracy' to not work with Obama
Laughable and patently false, the leftists NEVER question their Cliff Clavinoids dispensed from the propaganda machine. Information nuggets of pedantics, semantics and strawman arguments. Compare the media matters propaganda to this headline. President Obama: The Biggest Government Spender In World History
The progressive talking point is the filibuster and obstructionist Republicans in the Democrat controlled US Senate. Not only control, but in 2009, they (58 Democrats) are just 2 seats away from their super-majority of the 100 seats. They fail to mention that 2 independents, such as the only Socialist Bernie Saunders who was endorsed by Harry Reid and caucuses with the Democrats, really counts as a Dem vote. What about even one RINO Republican? President Obama never had any intention of submitting a serious budget as he would have to account for RECORD spending with only a dismal economy to show for his agenda. If the Democrats can avoid blame for causing the housing crisis, hiding $5 or $10 TRILLION more with the blame game is easy with a complicit media. The leftist propaganda machine permeates the MSM and social media with their 'messaging'.
Here is how Harry Reid Rules the US Senate as a party stooge and Majority Leader. Google Land Deal, his kid and china solar. Harry Reid has ZERO credibility.
The Senate is a unique legislative institution, designed to guarantee
that the minority party – and the large block of Americans it
represents – has a voice. Traditionally, this body functions well when
the majority party works to find consensus with the minority party on
the process and substance of legislation. Consultation and compromise
with the minority party historically has been the rule, not the
exception it has become in recent years.
Senator Robert Byrd understood the importance of allowing for a full
debate and amendment process in order to preserve the Senate as a unique institution
in our democracy – “the one place in the whole government where the
minority is guaranteed a public airing of its views.” The Senate, he
taught, “was intended to be a forum for open and free debate and for the
protection of political minorities.” Indeed, “as long as the Senate
retains the power to amend and the power of unlimited debate, the
liberties of the people will remain secure.”
Allowing the minority to debate and amend legislation has given way
to the Democrats’ election-year political strategy of blaming
Republicans as obstructionists. Majority Leader Reid has done this by
preventing Republicans from amending pending legislation, ending debate
before it starts, and by-passing the committee process.
Democrats Have Blocked Input on Legislation
Majority Leader Reid has made a habit of squelching the voice of the
minority by curtailing its ability to amend legislation. The Majority
Leader is always the first to be recognized on the Senate floor. He can
use that power to offer a series of Democratic amendments to pending
legislation in a way that prevents Republicans from offering any of
their ideas. This is called “filling the tree.”
Majority Leader Reid once insisted
that the practice “runs against the basic nature of the Senate.” By the
way the Senate operates today, however, it is clear that he has
abandoned that assessment.
According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), Majority
Leader Reid has employed this tactic a record 59 times. He has used it
to block minority input into legislation 50 percent more often than the
past five Majority Leaders combined. The minority’s only option under
these circumstances is to oppose ending debate on legislation (known as
“invoking cloture”) in order to convince the majority to allow it to
offer amendments to the legislation and thereby represent the interests
of their constituents.
Democrats Have Shut Down Debate Before It Even Starts
In the Senate, the majority can end debate on any matter by a
procedure known as cloture. Majority Leader Reid has indicated his lack
of interest in deliberation by moving frequently to shut down debate the
very day measures are first raised on the Senate floor. According to
CRS, Majority Leader Reid has done this 99 times, not counting same-day
cloture filings on motions to proceed. Of these, 82 were during the
110th and 111th Congresses. In comparison, during the two preceding
Congresses Majority Leader Frist employed this tactic 30 times.
The False Narrative of Republican Filibusters
Republicans have been accused
of abusing the filibuster to thwart Democratic legislation. This claim
is based on the incorrect equation of filibusters with the number of
cloture petitions filed or the number of cloture votes taken. In short, a
cloture petition does not a filibuster make. A filibuster, however,
happens when an attempt to end debate fails. Successfully ending debate
is the opposite of a filibuster.
It only takes a quick glance at the count of
cloture votes, however, to realize that Republicans are not obstructing
with the filibuster. In fact, the percentage of cloture petitions
withdrawn or vitiated has increased to 43 percent this Congress.
This is significantly higher than the average for the previous four
decades, and the highest for any Congress in 25 years. Additionally, the
percentage of cloture votes passing – that is, invoking cloture – is
also rising. The 53 percent success rate for passing cloture votes in
the 112th Congress is the highest in the last 40 years. These figure
show that any increased incidence in cloture filings is due to the
Majority’s impulsiveness—its preference for filing cloture first and
asking the Minority to work with it later—rather than an unwillingness
of Senate Republicans to work with Senate Democrats.
Democrats Short-circuit the Committee Process to Block Debate
In the Senate, legislation generally is referred first to a committee
of Senators with specialized experience in the matter at hand. The
committee process typically involves hearings and legislative “markups”
where a small group of Senators can discuss proposed legislation in
detail and consider a wide range of amendments. This process can allow
for significant minority party participation. However, the current
majority has completely eliminated the committee process for important
matters. According to CRS, Majority Leader Reid has bypassed the
committee process 50 percent more than his predecessor during a
comparable period of time.
Democrats Change the Rules and Ignore Precedent to Shut Out Republicans
Last fall, Majority Leader Reid went so far as to change the rules
of the Senate in order to empower himself to shut out Republicans
entirely from the legislative process. He did so by using the so-called
nuclear option to change Senate procedures with a simple majority vote,
despite his commitment earlier in the year not to use this tactic.
Specifically, during consideration of the China currency bill last
October, the Majority Leader filled the amendment tree in order to
prevent Republicans from offering any amendments before cloture was
invoked. Once cloture was invoked, Republicans tried to exercise their
rights under the Senate’s rules to express themselves by offering
motions to suspend those rules—motions that the Senate Parliamentarian
ruled were proper. The majority simply changed Senate rules by
establishing a new precedent that any such motions offered post-cloture
would now be out of order. As a result, the Majority Leader was able to
squelch completely the voice of the minority on issues of importance to
its constituents.
The Majority Leader again ignored recent precedent earlier this year
when President Obama recess appointed nominees to executive branch
positions, despite the fact the Senate was in pro-forma session to
prevent such appointments. In 2007, the Majority Leader pioneered the
practice of keeping the Senate in session on a pro forma basis to
prevent President Bush from making recess appointments. At the time,
Majority Leader Reid insisted
these pro forma sessions were necessary “to block the President from
doing an end run around the Senate and the Constitution with his
controversial nominations.” By switching positions once President Obama
was in the White House, Majority Leader Reid unfortunately chose to
ignore Republican concerns and to disregard the Senate’s constitutional role in the nominations process.
When Allowed, Republican Input Improves the Process and Legislation
When Democrats have chosen to stifle debate and block the amendments,
legislation goes nowhere. When they agree to a reasonable amendment
process, however, the record of accomplishment shows that Republicans
can help clear a path forward. For example, just this week, Majority
Leader expressed his pleasure
with Republican cooperation in moving forward with the FDA legislation.
He shouldn’t have been surprised – when he consults with Republicans
and allows them to participate in the legislative process, there have
been several legislative accomplishments this session alone. When
Democrats agreed to allow amendments on the Export-Import Bank bill, the
Senate was able to complete this important legislation. This year
alone, Republican cooperation has led to passage of:
• Export Import Bank Reauthorization;
• Trade Adjustment Assistance;
• Patent Reform;
• FAA Reauthorization;
• Highway Bill
A Hyper-Partisan Senate is Not a Serious One
Rather than create hyper-partisan conditions by impulsively filing
cloture on measures, bypassing the committee process, and blocking
Republicans from offering amendments, Majority Leader Reid should work
with Republicans. The record is clear: simply allowing the minority to
participate in the process leads to consensus and accomplishment. This
should remain the rule, not the exception.
Please keep that fact in mind when you read about Harry Reid and the democrats gaming the budget systems to AVOID ANY ACCOUNTABILITY for the Economic Disaster caused by the DEMOCRATS.and the performance of the POTUS and his economic 'team'. The Election is now months away after years without a budget.
In the next article, TPM plays semantics with constitutional requirements for a budget versus appropriating or spending the money. The Truth Behind The GOP’s ‘1000 Days Without A Budget’ Canard In the narrowest technical sense, Republicans are right — Senate
Democrats haven’t passed a “budget resolution” since 2009. And it’s true
that a big part of the reason for the delay is that vulnerable
Democrats don’t want to associate themselves with a tax-and-spending
plan that will, by necessity, envisage high deficits, some tax
increases, and unpopular spending cuts, for years to come
But the much more important fact Republicans have left out is that the
Senate passed a budget on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis last summer
— one that unlike an annual “budget resolution” has the force of law
behind it. The Budget Control Act — the law that resolved the debt limit
fight — set binding appropriations caps for this fiscal year and the
next and instituted a mechanism to contain spending on domestic
discretionary programs — education, research, community health programs
and the like — through the next decade.
The author calls the argument of a 1000 plus days without a budget a canard, when he never addresses the constitutionality of the Budget Control Act, a super panel of congressman etc. Just as Obamacare and the mandate isn't constitutional, neither is the budget control act in regards to process and powers. The Budget Control Act Of 2011 Violates Constitutional Order
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Harry Reid loses procedural ruling on budget vote Harry Reid loses procedural ruling on budget vote
"The Senate’s chief referee has issued a key ruling against Majority Leader Harry Reid,
POLITICO has learned — a move expected to bring unwanted election-year
pressure on the Nevada Democrat to act on politically dicey budget
bills. Newly appointed ParliamentarianElizabeth MacDonough, whom Reid recommended for the job, has decided
that last summer’s deal on the debt ceiling and spending caps does not
preclude the Senate from taking up other budget resolutions this year.
The ruling could force vulnerable Democrats to cast tough votes that
hurt them in November, a situation Reid and other leaders are eager to
avoid as they work to protect their fragile majority."
"Democratic aides have dismissed the ruling as irrelevant, arguing that
the historic debt deal already serves as a legally binding budget."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell opened the debate by accusing
Democrats of being "irresponsible" for not passing a formal budget this
year. "If you're looking for a simple, three-word description of the Democrat
approach to the problems we face, it's this: duck and cover. They don't
have a budget of their own. They're going to vote against their own
president's budget later today and they're going to vote against every
budget Republicans put up."
"Republicans commandeered the floor by taking advantage of a
seldom-used Senate rule that allows any senator to offer a budget if the
Budget Committee has not passed a budget resolution by April 1.
In
this case, Republicans called up five budgets: one that closely
mirrored President Obama's budget proposal submitted earlier this year;
another, authored by House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, which
the House approved; and three from very conservative senators aimed at
making drastic reductions to entitlements costs, government spending and
taxes.
Romney, GOP try to shift focus to deficit
Going into
the day, everyone knew none of the bills would get the 51 votes needed
to succeed.
And, as Republicans had calculated, the president's budget got zero yes
votes, providing Republicans with the political ammunition they sought
for the campaign trail this year.
The House Republican budget got 41 Republican votes and zero
Democratic votes. Five Republicans, including Sen. Scott Brown who is
facing a tough re-election fight in Massachusetts, voted against it.
A
proposal from Sen. Pat Toomey, R- Pennsylvania, that would balance the
budget in eight years got 42 Republican votes and no Democratic votes.
A
proposal from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, that would cut eliminate
several cabinet agencies -- including Commerce, Education, Housing and
Urban Developments and Energy -- only got 16 votes.
And a proposal
from Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, which would institute a flat tax, raise the
eligibility age for Social Security, and repeal "Obamacare" only got 17
votes.
By
Meredith Shiner Roll Call Staff May 22, 2012, 11:57 a.m.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
(D-Nev.) indicated that he does not see a way to reach bipartisan
agreement on deficit reduction or taxes before the November elections.
Reid, in a terse letter, was responding to a letter signed by 41
Senate Republicans that demanded immediate action on extending Bush-era
tax cuts that expire at the end of this year.
In his letter, Reid suggested that the GOP Senators’ concerns were
not legitimate unless they agreed to compromise on a deficit reduction
package that includes tax increases on the wealthy and corporations.
“Unfortunately, it appears that Republicans’ blind adherence to Tea
Party extremism is making it impossible to reach this sort of balanced
agreement before the election,” Reid wrote
The fiscal year starts on Oct 1, 2012 and King Harry Reid is going to vote on budgetary matters after the NOVEMBER election. The Democrats abuse the parliamentarian's ruling to pass Obamacare as a budget item, then ignore the rulings on budgets when inconvenient.
Yes, King Harry Reid and Emperor Obama, we get the budget games. Increase discretionary spending and rack up huge debts to FORCE A PERMANENT REDUCTION IN MILITARY SPENDING and RAISE TAXES on the productive. Automatic dollar for dollar cuts and autopilot "pseudo-budgets" to provide political cover for your cronyism, graft, corruption and collusion. CBRs, extracongressional committees and ignoring parliamentary rules, when convenient, prove the Democrats under Obama and Reid never intended to truly account for their spending, gaming the system for their agenda. All phony, progressive politics.
