Why has the lame duck session “produced” so much?
Ezra Klein and I are asking essentially the same question, although we’re phrasing it a bit differently. He wonders why the lame duck session been so “productive;” I’m not so sure I’d use that particular word.
However, we’re in agreement on the point that there’s been a flurry of bills passed lately, and that most of the “compromise” has been on the part of RINOs who let these bills go forward instead of waiting till late January, when the new Congress will be in session and Republicans could get a much sweeter deal.
The reason? Klein’s guess is that the RINOs aren’t pleased with the more conservative makeup of the new Congress and want to pass what Klein calls “sensible” legislation. They disagree with their new Republican colleagues on principle.
I’d add that the RINOs are distressed that the extraordinary power they now hold by being the swing votes will be diminished in the upcoming more Republican Congress. For politicians, it’s often about personal power, I’m afraid. In addition, since these RINOs are mostly from fairly liberal states and would prefer to be re-elected, they don’t want their constituents to take it out on them; after all, bills such as the repeal of DADT are very popular with the American public in general and certainly with the voters of Maine and Massachusetts.
Another reason I think this may be happening now is that the Pelosi/Reid Congress purposely tried to get its most leftist and controversial bills passed in the early days of the session, when liberal strength was strongest. What’s left now are those bills that are more amendable to compromise, bills that had some sort of bipartisan (RINO, in particular) support, or bills with some time urgency (the so-called “Bush tax cuts”).
It also might be that the Republican leadership just isn’t very tough. You’d think they’d have the power right now to threaten RINOs with loss of privileges in the next session if the line isn’t toed, but that doesn’t seem to be happening. Or, if it has been happening, it’s been ineffective.
It may also be that Republican leaders don’t want to validate their own reputation for being the party of “no.” Some of these bills (such as the aforementioned DADT repeal) have broad popular appeal with the public, and drawing a line in the sand on them seems both mean-spirited and counterproductive, especially when it’s unclear that the bill’s passage will have a negative effect on the military (the only argument I can see that could justify blocking it).
Many Republican—and especially conservative—voters have had tons of experience with disappointment with Republicans in Congress. My guess is that in the next session, even with the Republicans more in control, there’ll be plenty more of that to come.
I, too, am really disappointed that Republicans in Congress have not remained united, and at least tried to derail some of this legislation.
Once these politicians get elected, they just basically do what they want–regardless of any campaign promises they might have made to get elected in the first place–and, then, since the power and perks are so irresistible, they cling to their seats with a death grip, hoping the the electorate has such a short attention span and such limited memory that they can again game them again in the next election.
I hope that, this time, we can remember who did not walk the walk, and we can constantly bombard them with reminders over the next two years of what they said they would be doing and the positions they would take, and if they disregard our wishes, we can vote them out in 2012. But, by then. of course, a lot more damage will have been done.
I’m a bit more cynical. I believe (and it’s based on nothing but gut feeling) that McConnell and Obama may have worked out a quid pro quo. In exchange for Obama supporting the Republican’s tax deal, McConnell may have agreed with Obama to not put pressure on the Republican caucus to vote as a unified bloc on key pieces of Obama’s remaining agenda.
This could be the last victory for the Democrats for a long time. And this victory is being trumpeted for more than it is. START and the food safety bill are especially tough losses, true. But DREAM and the Omnibus did not pass. The Defense bill kept Gitmo. DADT may be contained and when California’s Prop. 8 is heard in the US Supreme Court, its outrageous findings of pseudo fact will be overruled. Repeal of Obamacare should predominate. Repeal/reform of FCC and energy regulation should come next. Votes to withdraw from the UN Human Rights Commission and anything else the UN does would be correct and popular. Earmark legislation. A state’s majority nullification of federal law amendment. Balanced budget amendment.
Wasn’t just a week or so ago that the Republicans were saying they knew they were on “probation” ? With the way this lame duck session is going, I’m not too hopeful for the next year. Is there enough anger out there for a viable third party?
I don’t think it is about Rinos…in fact I am kind of tired of that word. For heavens sake, you have Graham acting like a partisan firebrand and McCain complaining about the repeal of DODT…and just a few months ago they were Rinos, and no doubt they will be again in the not too distant future.
The truth is the Democrats did not get everything they wanted and there is no reason to believe the deal would have been that much sweeter if the Republicans had tried to filibuster everything and force into the next session.
START was going to pass eventually, I don’t think there was ever really any question of that. DODT was going to be repealed or the courts were going to end it eventually. It would not have mattered who controlled the House.
The DREAM Act is dead for now…and the omnibus bill is dead and the tax cuts were extended. I don’t think Americans would have appreciated it if Republicans had killed that compromise and everyone’s taxes had gone up and I am not sure they would have gotten a better deal in the long run anyway.
There will be plenty of fights ahead for the new Congress without them getting left over business from this one.
Power grab…
to be consolidated when the potus starts making signing statements and other things…
gleichschaltung
I write large and explain, its too big
I put one word up and no one looks
the STATED goal is to FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE the USA… (and there is only one thing left to change to)
so at what point will we stop circling back to try to understand their actions in terms of a positive future and continuing state?
more laws that the great society laws of the 60s, and MOST of them socialist, collectivist, and violating the constitution. (offices of women an minorities, race gender bounties for NIH researchers, SBA 8A, favoring one religion over others, and really a huge list that if i took the time can go on and on)
of course, no one went back to look at the legal changes and conditions in weimar…
only ignorant people wont recognize a copy
just as kids watching keefer sutherland in three musketeers has no idea that there was a movie with micheal york..
or will hear journey on glee, and think it was written for glee (a point on the morning news).
if you are watching out for the hefalumps and woozles, its best to know what a hefalump or a woozle looks like.
Here is the sound of the tree that did fall:
“Well, it is still very hard to screw up the United States in four years.
So I suppose that the American people will wake up, turn off the whining sirens, ignore Elmer Gantry and in the next decade climb out of the hole – until the next Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, or Barack Obama comes around to assure them they are doomed unless they realize that their freedom and opulence are really…”
http://www.victorhanson.com/articles/hanson121810.html
I guess I should clarify and say the tree that did fall was the outlandish and messianic pretensions of Barack Obama.
Gleichschaltung
The German word Gleichschaltung is a composite noun. Gleich means “equal”; Schaltung is derived from the verb schalten (“to switch”). It can be translated as “consolidation”, “synchronization”, or “phasing”.
when reading replace nazi with progressive
Notice that it took only four years…
each thing they did (and the new laws) is this process in action if you know. if you don’t, then why bother, as your not going to figure it out till you know how it works from being inside it.
in that paragraph is why Obama and others talk social justice and now they have a church man on team Schools. energy, credit, medical…..
it cant be EXACTLY the same…
and if your waiting for exactly the same, you wont see it. as whats going on, took 50 plus years to set up.
for instance, they cant make an enabling act law, but in pieces they have proceeded towards the same END.
lots of stuff is now bypassing the power of the congress, and reporting back to the ruler.
cant get net neutrality, bypass the now defunct house and senate… delegate powers that cant be delegated, and dare the people to get it and do something (these things have already been done)
WE call it the enabling act
THEY called it: Gesetz zur Behebung der Not von Volk und Reich
Law in order to remedy the misery of the people and the Reich
sounds nice, like some recent stuff, eh?
compared to the laws they are putting in that took decades to craft to work together (while presented separately), the act is easy…
one only has to do similar things that end up the same.
for instance, part 3 is covered by signing statements… and its covered by putting in laws and ignoring the people…
Laws decided upon by the government of the Reich shall be issued by the Chancellor [i.e. Hitler] and announced in the Reich Law Gazette. They shall take effect on the day following the announcement, unless they prescribe a different date.
the key is that the state decides laws and disregards the people…
and how about signing agreements with other countries? alienating them, etc? that they negated congress by acting this way…
4. Contracts of the Reich with foreign states which affect matters of Reich legislation shall not require the approval of the bodies concerned with legislation. The government of the Reich shall issue the prescriptions required for the execution of such contracts.
the kicker is that there are only two more points!
the third point left is to say that the law would no longer be in effect if the state is replaced…
so rather than analyse the things that would need to be accomplished to copy Gleichschaltung, we ignore it and try to figure it out AFTER some move.
they right now, are burning ships like cortez, and its amazing that people dont get it. (even lawyers)
so apt at working on parts, they are inept at cogitating the whole synoptic
All one has to do is LISTEN and know history to see that their goals stated differently are the same…
its like all you have to do to hide from the smart people is to use synonyms and do something so AUDACIOUS the smarties who are so cautious cant figure you out…
(though the adventurous and more alive in the world do see it, as they too make audacious moves that surprise their contemporaries!)
Am I right in remembering that within the last two weeks there was the putulant angry Obama dissing the left and the left responding “f##k” Obama.
The Left had better enjoy this last morsel. Judgment cometh.
The Left did indeed throw a tantrum.
Tell me, which of them can stand being called a raaaaaaacist! because they’re opposing a black man? no, the Left is screwed: they’ve hitched their shiny red wagon to The Won’s ambition, and if he runs again, they have to fall in line. If he doesn’t run again, they’ll still lose the black vote because it’ll be seen as replace a ‘black man at whitey’s request’.
Only one of those paths lead to a win in 2012, and even that isn’t a sure thing.
I agree with Artfldgr.
I saw a great comment on another blog that nicely expresses how I feel about the situation:
Compare the 2006 lame duck to that of 2010 and despair, all ye who hold great hope for the coming term.
At the Ace of Spades thread, one commenter pointed out that 87% of the House incumbents and 84% of the Senate incumbents who ran were re-elected.
The new Congress may not be as different as we hope.
Well Sharpton is trying to get the FCC to move against Rush. These people no longer hide their intentions: “We’re saying those standards ought to include those that in an explicit or even an implicit way practice racism or sexism or homophobia on the airwaves. And can you imagine the arrogance of saying federally-regulated airwaves should not be subjected to federal public hearings, so they should just grant licenses, allow people to say what they want?”
Read more: http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/mark-finkelstein/2010/12/22/sharpton-censoring-rush-imagine-arrogance-allowing-people-say-what#ixzz18tcwRpU1
“My guess is that in the next session, even with the Republicans more in control, there’ll be plenty more of that to come. “
Agreed, but I’m not so worried, for two reasons
1) The most we can do anyway for the next two years is A) prevent more bad legislation from being passed, and this we can do with our new conservative majority in the House alone. And B) that same conservative House can stop ObamaCare from being implimented.
2) The real action will come after the election of 2012, and (laugh at me if you want) but I’m reasonably confident we can take the White House, keep the House, and make gains in the Senate. At that point what RINOs are left won’t be able to stop much.
“It also might be that the Republican leadership just isn’t very tough.”
Understatement of the year.
McConnell is horrible. The only leader worse was Frist before him. McCain is a close third. I am hoping against hope that the Tea Party spirit is able to change McConnell out. He is no good; does no good for anything; and only does harm by compromising with Obama.
In this slugfest for the very life of America, you do not help your opponent up off the mat. You defeat him. That should be the one and only R goal for now – defeat everything liberal/democrat/Obama. No compromise on anything. Nothing. Zero.
I am going to call my new Senator (Pat Toomey; not yet sworn in) and beg him to resist Obama and the Rinos all the time, every day, publicly and loudly, 100% no surrender.
I gots bullets, if it goes that far. Currently, I’m just writing my congresscritters weekly.
Sure hope it doesn’t – I don’t want to kill anyone.
But keep on taxing, proscribing, regulating my life and there will come a time when the benefits of voilence will outweigh the benefits of civilized behavior.
And I shall die a free man.
McCain is not elgible for a gold star resulting from his long overdue epiphany. McConnell is weak. The tea party emergence and November election should have served as an adequate come to Jesus awakening for these alleged leaders, but it did not. We know that the Left do not or will not recognize our dangerous enemies, but, sadly, much of our leadership fail to recognize the dangers as well.
It’s extremely difficult to recover freedoms. The bureaucratic Left, thanks to S-510, will now micro-manage our food and the three loons at FCC want to protect us from ideas and words. The bitter truth here is that Republican leadership didn’t even put up a fight on these issues-they even supported some of it.
Running for office so that you can run for office won’t get it anymore! November 2010 was only a good beginning.
If you have time to read a worthwhile article, consider this one:
http://neithercorp.us/npress/2010/12/constitutional-judo/
for Rickl
Among the two most alarming revelations is the already completed sale and delivery, to Venezuela by Russia, of nearly 2,000 advanced, shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles capable of hitting aircraft as high as 19,000 feet. Equally and perhaps more alarming is an October agreement between Iran and Venezuela. The agreement establishes a joint ground-to-ground missile base on Venezuelan soil and calls for the sharing of missile technology and the training of technicians and officers. In addition, Venezuela may use the missiles as it chooses for “national needs” and in case of “emergency.” Several types of missiles will be deployed, giving Venezuela the ability to strike targets throughout South and Central America and throughout the U.S.
and
White House Drafts Executive Order for Indefinite Detention
the order establishes indefinite detention as a long-term Obama administration policy and makes clear that the White House alone will manage a review process for those it chooses to hold without charge or trial.
=======================
President Obama has signed 68 Executive Orders to date during his Administration.
President George W. Bush had a total of 289 Executive Orders throughout his 8 years in office
President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a total of 3,728 Executive Orders throughout his administration which was in power from 1933 to 1945. FDR issued 573 Executive Orders in 1933 alone. FDR’s Executive Orders started with EO-6071.
one of the key things that germany did was get the churches and community things in line.. Gliecshaltung.
Executive Order 13559 – Fundamental Principles and Policy-making Criteria for Partnerships with Faith-Based and Other Neighborhood Organizations
Executive Order 13558 – Export Coordination Enforcement Center
[creates a new agency that gets to look at information from a huge number of other agencies in centralized form. it creates a whole new section of government and grants complete freedom to “determine its agenda”. it bypasses congress by taking funding from homeland security, who then will petition for more front end funding]
Executive Order 13557 – Controlled Unclassified Information
the idea of this one is to get power to control information that is not classified but they don’t want you to know. like a birth cert, or school transcripts, etc…
the next one is very strategic, but since we don’t want to discuss STRATEGY but want to react with tactics and small stuff, we don’t really go over much meat and potatoes here…
Executive Order 13556 – Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice [It also rescinds President George W. Bush’s Executive Order 13481]
so in case there is some event that prevents the current attorneys general from acting, the people he designated take control. like maybe when you arrest them?
Executive Order 13555 – White House Initiative On Educational Excellence For Hispanics [so much for equality before the law… now some classes are more equal than others, and some races are more equal than others. protected classes]
The Executive order puts in place an Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, to be housed in the Department of Education. The mission of the Initiative shall be to help restore the United States to its role as the global leader in education and to strengthen the Nation by expanding educational opportunities and improving educational outcomes for Hispanics of all ages and by helping to ensure that all Hispanics receive a complete and competitive education that prepares them for college, a career, and productive and satisfying lives.
if your from someplace else, your not a part. this is the reward for border crossing en masse
Executive Order 13554 – Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force
nice one has managed to pretend not to block, but now has blocked all new stuff… by not issuing permits.
Executive Order 13553 – Designating Iranian Officials Responsible for or Complicit in Serious Human Rights Abuses
here is an interesting one
Executive Order 13552 – 2010 Amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial
Executive Order 13551 – Blocking Property of Certain Persons with Respect to North Korea
Executive Order 13550 – Establishment of Pakistan and Afghanistan Support Office
Executive Order 13549 – Classified National Security Information Program for State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Entities
Executive Order 13548 – Increasing Federal Employment of Individuals with Disabilities………..
[edited for length by n-n]
Russia will be able to increase its nuclear arms potential after a new arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia is ratified, a top Russian senator said on Friday.
“If one reads the text of the document carefully then it becomes clear that Americans will really have to reduce the number of [nuclear] warheads, while if we [Russia] want to reach the levels defined by the document, will actually have to increase the amount of warheads,” Mikhail Margelov, the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council, said in an interview with TVTc television channel.