Thread: Harry Reid and Crew are running out of excuses.

It is now obvious that just because you are very good at criticizing your opponent, that will not make you a good leader.

http://www.politibyte.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=20&mode=&or der=0&thold=0

The domocrats have the reins of power in Congress. They cannot continue to blame others for the problems in Washington. Until they understand this basic concept, they will never be able to provide true leadership. Americans hate excuses.

It's not just the Democrats, the Republicans are equally at fault. What distresses me is that Congress has become functionally ineffective in dealing with important legislation but they seem hell bent on securing pork and finger pointing across the aisle instead of addressing problems.

I recall Pelosi and Reid promising to fix what was broken in the legislature yet in over one year neither has made any progress in fufilling their promise.

I'm at the point that, with minor exceptions, I view the whole Congress as self serving and worthless.

Originally Posted by Bourne

It's not just the Democrats, the Republicans are equally at fault. What distresses me is that Congress has become functionally ineffective in dealing with important legislation but they seem hell bent on securing pork and finger pointing across the aisle instead of addressing problems.

I recall Pelosi and Reid promising to fix what was broken in the legislature yet in over one year neither has made any progress in fufilling their promise.

I'm at the point that, with minor exceptions, I view the whole Congress as self serving and worthless.

Asolutely dead on the money Bourne!, Hear Hear!!!!!! (Applause Sign)!!!!!

Hang the lot of them! (jkFBI)

Not trying to let the Democrats off, but they do have a one vote majority (that vote being Liberman who votes with the Republicans on foreign policy) in the Senate...

New Report Shows How Conservative Minority Rules by Filibuster, Preventing Up or Down Vote on a Record Number of Bills

Campaign for America's Future :: RECORD-BREAKING: SENATE CONSERVATIVES

excerpt:

WASHINGTON—The Republican Senate minority today filibustered an omnibus budget bill, setting a modern-day record for blocking the most legislation during a congressional session. A new report released today by the Campaign for America's Future details the 62 times conservatives have used the filibuster to block legislation (or force modification of bills) in the first session of the 110th Congress. In just the first year of this two-year Congress, their use of the filibuster in the Senate topped the previous record, reached during the entire 107th Congress.

The new report outlines every bill filibustered, vetoed or threatened to be vetoed by President Bush. Conservatives filibustered bills to end the occupation of Iraq, provide soldiers in Iraq rest time equal to their deployments, support renewable energy and grant residents of the District of Columbia representation in Congress. Today's record-breaker involved a $516 billion budget package passed by the House to fund the federal government in 2008. The conservative minority demanded $20 billion additional funding for the war and opposed House language to bring troops home, and threatened a filibuster to prevent the bill from getting an up or down vote.

"In just one session, a minority in Congress has prevented a mind-blowing 62 pieces of legislation from going to the floor for an up or down vote," said Campaign for America's Future co-director Roger Hickey. "Our report shows how over and over again, the uncompromising minority has thwarted the will of majorities in Congress and of the American people, holding the Senate floor hostage to a radical right-wing agenda."

Sixty votes are needed to invoke cloture and end a filibuster. The 62nd cloture vote of the session is more than any single session of Congress since at least 1973, the earliest year cloture votes are available online from the Senate. Republicans are on pace to force 134 cloture votes to cut off a filibuster, according to the Campaign for America's Future analysis, more than double the historical average of the last 35 years.

Originally Posted by Goldwater

Asolutely dead on the money Bourne!, Hear Hear!!!!!! (Applause Sign)!!!!!

Hang the lot of them! (jkFBI)

Thank you Goldwater. Much appreciated.

I just get so damned frustrated listening to both the Republicans and Democrats take pot shots at each other while they sit on their hands and do nothing to solve issues such as health care and the social security crisis.

It's disgusting that these clowns are being paid, given all manner of benefits, take junkets at taxpayer expense but fail miserably to fufill their obligations to their constituents.

The way to deal with this is to not count on them. Live below your means, make sure you get on a plan to own your home outright w/in a matter of a handful of years (instead of 20 or 30), and then, stash money or invest in something.

Originally Posted by Bourne

Thank you Goldwater. Much appreciated.

I just get so damned frustrated listening to both the Republicans and Democrats take pot shots at each other while they sit on their hands and do nothing to solve issues such as health care and the social security crisis.

It's disgusting that these clowns are being paid, given all manner of benefits, take junkets at taxpayer expense but fail miserably to fufill their obligations to their constituents.

Well, I too cannot deny that the Republicans are not alot better. However, one item I will note is that I believe that on a party level, the Repulicans are somewhat apologetic and seem to recognize that they lost of the house because of their own actions. Are they sincere? Who knows....however, the democrats still seem hell bent on blaming everything on the republicans, yet, not recognizing that they are at least 1/2 the problem.

Originally Posted by spud438

The domocrats have the reins of power in Congress. They cannot continue to blame others for the problems in Washington. Until they understand this basic concept, they will never be able to provide true leadership. Americans hate excuses.

What exactly are you blaming the Dems for?

Originally Posted by spud438

Well, I too cannot deny that the Republicans are not alot better. However, one item I will note is that I believe that on a party level, the Repulicans are somewhat apologetic and seem to recognize that they lost of the house because of their own actions. Are they sincere? Who knows....however, the democrats still seem hell bent on blaming everything on the republicans, yet, not recognizing that they are at least 1/2 the problem.

It's just my opinion but I doubt their sincerity. Indeed, nowdays I doubt the sincerity of most politicians. I think that the Republicans are jockeying for advantage by pointing a finger at Bush's failings and in effect claiming that the Democrats played along with Bush pre-Iraq when they should have known better. The Democrats on the other hand wash their hands of Congress' failings claiming that they have been in the majority only one year and the Republicans are the cause of the current crisis. Both sides identify problems, assign blame but do nothing to solve the problems.

One thing that's for certain is that there is plenty of bi-partisan blame to go around for the disgraceful state of this country and neither party seems sincere in rectifying our problems.

Originally Posted by spud438

It is now obvious that just because you are very good at criticizing your opponent, that will not make you a good leader.

http://www.politibyte.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=20&mode=&or der=0&thold=0

The domocrats have the reins of power in Congress. They cannot continue to blame others for the problems in Washington. Until they understand this basic concept, they will never be able to provide true leadership. Americans hate excuses.

I know that I hate and am tired of excuses. The quetion now is, what do we do next?