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mac
Joined: 07 Mar 1999
Posts: 17747
Location: Berkeley, California
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 Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 12:19 am Post subject: Republican leadership--an oxymoron in this Congress |
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Politics is the art of the possible, dealing with the world and the structures that are, not those you wish were. In Congress, that means being able to count, and if necessary limit your efforts or reach compromises to achieve at least some of your goals. Now I have described the Tea baggers in Congress, particularly in the House, as amateurs. Some of them are well beyond crazy. But let's do the math. There are 435 representatives in the House, 232 Republicans, 203 Democrats. Of the Republicans, 144 support the Tea Party Caucus. That's right, about 1/3. But they don't understand the system well enough, or think through strategy well enough, to have any idea about how to make any progress. Neither, apparently, does Boehner. This amuses me mightily:
| Quote: | By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two months into full Republican control of Congress, GOP leaders are struggling to demonstrate they really are in charge.
The stunning House defeat Friday of a three-week spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security exposed Speaker John Boehner's weakness in the face of rebellious conservatives.
It also again demonstrated his need to rely on Democrats at critical moments as the minority party's agreement to a one-week spending bill helped the speaker get it over the finish line with only hours to spare before a threatened agency shutdown.
President Barack Obama signed the bill shortly before midnight.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., already had bowed to Democrats' demands and stripped the contentious provisions rolling back Obama's immigration policies from his chamber's version of the Homeland Security spending bill.
The two leaders face different, and often competing, challenges as they try to produce the responsible governance they promised voters after November elections, when Republicans won control of the Senate and increased their House majority to the largest in 70 years.
Two months into the new Congress, the severe limits to their powers are confronting Boehner, R-Ohio, and McConnell as they aim to chart a course for the final two years of Obama's presidency. That path could help lead their party back into the White House, and perhaps even produce a few legislative achievements.
"Obviously we're not getting good results, are we? I base everything on results," said Rep. John Fleming of Louisiana, one of the many Republicans frustrated with the GOP's performance, particularly on the Homeland Security bill.
"Our leadership set the stage for this," Fleming said. "Yet we didn't really see much messaging, coordination or communication."
Even though Boehner has large numbers on his side, it's still not enough to ensure he can line up a majority on any given bill, especially on issues such as immigration, education or abortion. The GOP advantage is 245-188 with two vacancies.
A frustrated Rep. Devin Nunes, the California Republican who heads the House Intelligence Committee chairman, lashed out at "a small group of phony conservative members who have no credible policy proposals and no political strategy to stop Obama's lawlessness" and seem to be "unaware that they can't advance conservatism by playing fantasy football with their voting cards."
McConnell is contending with Senate rules that give important rights to the minority party, which Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada is adept at exploiting.
Republicans hold 54 seats, but that is six short of the 60 needed to ensure passage of most legislation.
Democrats united against and ultimately blocked GOP attempts to use the Homeland Security spending bill as the measure to overturn Obama's immigration directives extending work permits to millions of people in the country illegally.
Many Republicans campaigned for re-election last fall on promises to stop Obama on immigration, and their inability to do so is infuriating to conservatives. That's why 52 of them in the House voted down a three-week agency spending bill Friday night in a humiliating defeat for Boehner and other Republican leaders.
"The problem is there are a whole lot of us, including leadership, who put out statements saying Obama's executive order was illegal, unconstitutional. How do you backtrack off of that?" asked Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla.
GOP leaders regrouped to offer a one-week bill, but it required the blessing of House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California. She assured fellow Democrats the vote would pave the way for passage of a full-year bill next week, without the immigration language that has drawn a White House veto threat.
Boehner aides denied that any such assurances had been given. |
Without a clue as to how it was going to play out, Boehner signed up for Sunday talk shows while the wing nuts were putting knives in his back.
There are still a few Republicans left with some sense:
| Quote: | Appearing on Luke Russert’s online MSNBC TV program, Shift, New York Congressman Peter King (R) slammed fellow House Republicans for not simply banding together to pass a clean funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. King made it clear that he was fed up with Tea Party Republicans playing politics with Homeland Security funding. The New York Congressman declared: ”This madness has to end soon…I’ve had it with this self-righteous, delusional wing of the party.”
King lamented that may GOP members of Congress come from very conservative districts where they “live in an echo chamber”. He argued that those Republicans are so blinded by being anti-Obama, that they would rather put American lives at risk, than yield an inch to the President on immigration reform. While King announced that he, like his GOP colleagues, was not in favor of President Obama’s Executive Order on immigration, he noted that funding Homeland Security was more important than picking a fight with Obama over immigration policy.
King was adamant that funding Homeland Security was a matter of life and death, and that Republican actions endangered the country, by threatening to “take away our front lines against Islamic terrorism”. The New York Congressman chastised his fellow Republican lawmakers repeatedly, for putting American lives at risk. |
I agree. |
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935
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| Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 10:43 am Post subject: |
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Is conflict mac's sole reason for posting on iW? He knows that political discussions at this level produce nothing but resentments that have torn this group apart, yet look at the hundreds of such threads he has launched. The minute the last one slows down, he starts another one to feed the strife. His nearly 6,000 posts so far have been all in the cockfight threads AFAIK, the majority of which were started by him. Does he even windsurf?
Sure, I've contributed to his cockfights, but every once in a while we NEED reality checks to oppose some of the stunning ignorance, endless false ad hominem, and blind ideology so common near our east, west, and northern borders. I even thought once upon a time that honest, informed, adult, political debate was not only positive but productive. That was probably the most naive, maybe the dumbest, idea I've ever had. |
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mac
Joined: 07 Mar 1999
Posts: 17747
Location: Berkeley, California
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| Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 11:12 am Post subject: |
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| Too funny. For six years conservatives like Bard and mrgybe have posted endless diatribes about Obama's lack of leadership. Now that the shoe is so clearly on the other foot, and the amateurs in Congress have demonstrated they can't lead, Mike Fick objects to tit for tat. Put it in your mouth and such it. |
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MalibuGuru
Joined: 11 Nov 1993
Posts: 9300
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| Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 12:27 pm Post subject: |
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| 22 times our fool Pres. Obama stated that what he did just did was unconstitutional. And now brave souls in Congress fight this unconstitutional action and they are obstructor's ? How convenient. |
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swchandler
Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588
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| Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:41 pm Post subject: |
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Bard, you're missing it. Why choose a path that threatens to shutdown the DHS and put the country at risk? Pass a clean DHS budget, and then selectively address the issue of immigration reform.
I remember back a couple years ago, after the Senate passed a bi-partisan immigration bill, when House Speaker Boehner confidently said that he felt that the House could pass their own bill by the end of that year. Well, what happened? Boehner couldn't get the job done, and he has clearly proven that he is powerless to lead. So, it's no big surprise that President Obama steps up and uses his executive powers to make a dent in the problem. I have to admit that I admire his strength in the face of an inept Republican Congress.
We all know that the illegal immigration problem needs to be addressed and resolved. When are the Republicans going to step up and work with Democrats to get the job done? There's no ignoring the problem at hand. Perhaps you should stop hating on Obama and look to where the real problem is. |
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boggsman1
Joined: 24 Jun 2002
Posts: 9120
Location: at a computer
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| Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:51 pm Post subject: |
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Here's what happens Steve... A couple years ago during the debt ceiling debate...Obama actually offered a $1MM threshhold for the new tax rates...Boehner couldnt even get the hard right to agree to it...what happened , the Rethugs caved in the 11th hour, we got $450,000 for rate hikes, a big loss for the hard right...and tax payers
Next up immigration: Senate passes comprehensive bill with 68 signatures on it...if brought to house floor, it would have passed..end of story, no executive action needed...didnt happen. NOW, we have a house incapable of passing comprehensive immigration reform, so we GET executive action, followed by stupid hold ups of entire GOVT departments...this is the worst Congress ever...zero ability to compromise .. Obama is forced to take matters into his own hands due to Boehner's inability to craft legislation that will pass his own caucas. |
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mac
Joined: 07 Mar 1999
Posts: 17747
Location: Berkeley, California
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| Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 2:31 pm Post subject: |
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Skill matters. It always has, it always will. Boehner could learn something by studying the career of Willie Brown, long the head of the California Assembly. Even after Republicans took over the Assembly, Willie managed to stay at the helm, using Republican votes when the Reps could not agree on a candidate.
In sharp contrast, Boehner has insisted on passing legislation only by a majority of the majority. He could easily have reached across the aisle to moderate Democrats, and crafted a few cosmetic changes that would have passed immigration reform that was good for Republican business people, despite the howling of the non-potty trained neo-"Know Nothing" party. It would have put the issue behind the Republicans, and enhanced their reputation with minorities. No such insight or long game for Boehner. Too busy smoking and painting himself with orange fake tan.
There are many deals that could be cut between Obama and Boehner, despite the latter's six years of calling Obama names. Boehner is just not smart enough to figure it out. |
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mac
Joined: 07 Mar 1999
Posts: 17747
Location: Berkeley, California
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MalibuGuru
Joined: 11 Nov 1993
Posts: 9300
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| Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 5:47 pm Post subject: |
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1st I'm a racist, then I'm following a black Whacko.....you can't have it both ways.
Boggs, every 100 on the Dow gets me more excited. I can't wait for the savers and pensioners to riot when they figure this out.
Meanwhile Lady Gaga is getting married across the street from me this summer. My whole neighborhood is on fire. The rich are getting richer thanks to Obama. I am preparing to start selling this spring. |
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swchandler
Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588
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| Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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Bard, you live in the best of places, to include having a spot in Maui. I sometimes wonder why you're so bent the wrong way on what's happening.
Rich folks do live well, and with world renowned Malibu just minutes from the LA scene, it doesn't surprise me that high focus celebrities live in your neighborhood.
Have some of these special neighbors invited you over for a scotch or two? |
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