Reid’s Thanksgiving Blues
November 19th, 2007 at 01:27pm Matt Margolis
Last week, Harry Reid complained that President Bush was acting like a “bully” right before he decided to keep the Senate in session during the Thanksgiving break to avoid any “controversial” recess appointments. Roll Call reports that sources said “Reid made the decision after he was unable to strike a deal with White House officials that would have allowed swift consideration of several key Democratic picks for the executive branch.”
James Joyner of Outside The Beltway nailed it when he said:
One wonders why they’d do that, given how cooperative the Democrats have been in moving through Bush appointments…
Yes, it’s hard to comprehend how Reid can be serious about calling Bush a “bully” when Democrats have tried every tactic available to them to stall or block Bush’s nominations. Be it Miguel Estrada, Janice Rogers Brown, or John Bolton, Democrats have abused the filibuster to prevent or delay confirmation of highly qualified people, solely because they were conservative and nominated by Bush.
In other words, had Democrats respected the Constitution and given Bush’s nominees the up-or-down votes they were entitled to deserved, recess appointments wouldn’t be an issue.
Another interesting point by James Joyner:
Given that both parties have been in permanent campaign mode for the last fifteen years or so, the traditional checks and balances process has gone from a system to force compromise to one used to bludgeon the other side and score points. That’s led to both branches using extraordinary tools like recess appointments and filibusters on a routine basis which, in turn, ratchets the pressure up another several notches.
I would also add that this “campaign mode” has gotten worse since the impeachment of Bill Clinton and the 2000 presidential elections. Because of these two events, Democrats feel justified in abusing the filibuster, delaying funding for our troops, leaking the details of classified anti-terrorism programs, etc. etc.
Compromise won’t exist anymore because of the Democrats. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one of the most liberal justices on the Supreme Court, was confirmed in 1993 by a 96-3 vote. Think any nominee by a Republican or a Democrat will ever be confirmed by such a margin again? Don’t count on it. Democrats have assured that bipartisanship is near death or already dead in Washington, D.C. Harry Reid’s threat to keep the Senate in session during Thanksgiving break is merely a symptom of a disease his party is largely responsible for.
Entry Filed under: Democrats, Nominations
11 Comments
1. OhioOrrin | November 19th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
BOTH parties have rendered disfunctional the executive & legislative branches of our federal govt. They think they’re scoring political points but in reality most of the electorate is becoming cynical.
WE THE PEOPLE must demand a centrist 3d party.
Strict public financing of ALL federal & state elected offices.
2. Almiranta | November 19th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
The constant whining of that Peevish Possum, Harry Reid, is getting tiresome. He constantly attacks the President and his entire Administration in the most vile, personal, and hateful terms, making public pronouncements which are insulting at best, and then tries to elicit support and sympathy for being disliked.
Reid has chosen to ‘lead’—if such antics can be accurately described as ‘leadership’—his party into a level of nasty, hateful, obstructionism. It may be just a characteristic of the far Left radical arm of the party, but Dems seem to increasingly see being AGAINST something as being the same as being strong and forceful. So Reid and his minions have been against everything they could find to oppose, and now they are realizing that they have put the President into the position of realizing that the only way he can get anything accomplished is to do an end run around the speed bumps elected by the Democrat Party.
Ooops. How often do I have to point out the most consistent byproduct of radical Leftist obstructionism?
UN IN TEN DED CON SE QUEN CES
So Harry failed to look forward far enough to see that once he created an atmosphere in which the Republicans know, in advance, that there is absolutely nothing they can promote which will not be blocked by an obdurate Dem Congress the GOP would be forced to either get nothing at all done or find a way around the speed bumps in their way.
Poooooooor babies.
3. Reid’s Thanksgiving Blu&hellip | November 19th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
[...] Blogs For Victory created an interesting post today on Reidâ??s Thanksgiving Blues [...]
4. Joe | November 19th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
Almiranta,
I think you just proved that it isn’t just Democrats.
You start with your post calling Reid a “Peevish Possum”. Oh of course… it is only the DEMOCRATS calling names and being mean. It isn’t Republicans at all. Of course not.
Look, both parties have done this for some time. You think we do it more, we think you do it more. When in fact, it is somewhere in the middle… both do it. So you and mark and all the others need to get off your high horse and come back to reality.
I’m not saying it is right or wrong, I am saying that you people saying it is all the Dems fault is very delusional.
How many Democratic proposals have been blocked by the Repubs in the last 10 months? How many vetos? When the Dems were blocking Republican bills for the last few years, you people were all up in arms that the minority is taking control.
Here is what I think… all appointments should have to be confirmed with AT LEAST 75% of the Senate. Especially Supreme Court Justices!! You want a compromise or middle of the road Judge that ALL people respect, this is how you do it. So the party in control can’t push radical judges thru and the minority can’t just block that judge for minor reasons.
That is how you will get consensus on appointees.
5. Thanksgiving News Aggrega&hellip | November 19th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
[...] Original post here [...]
6. TiredofLibBullShit | November 19th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
So to Harry Reid, meeting him half-way is giving only what he wants.
Remember, the reason stated earlier as to why the Senate would remain in session was that Bush did not want to meet him half-way.
“…unable to strike a deal with White House officials that would have allowed swift consideration of several key Democratic picks for the executive branch.”
Who has the authority for nominations of the EXECUTIVE branch?????
Looks like Reid is trying to reach beyond his powers which is confirming (or not) picks from the EXECUTIVE branch.
7. Rana Quijotesca | November 19th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
You do know what Republicans have filibustered more bills as of September of this session than Democrats had all of last year, right?
Who’s obstructing whom?
8. Kahn | November 19th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Have they? Or did they just threaten to?
Democrats taught us how to act this way. When they controlled Congress last time we could work with them - and we did. But when they lost, they turned it into this hate filled circus. So? Now their back and we are acting like they did.
Maybe if they had a coherent and positive agenda we could work with them.
Liberals - or are you progressives this week? What IS the liberal agenda? Specifics please?
9. neocon | November 19th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
Every single plank of the Democratic platform is hinged on fear and dependence.
- UHC creates more government dependance
- Global Warming initiatives are rooted in fear
- rolling back tax cuts is rooted in both fear and dependancy
- isolationism is rooted in fear
- increasing entitlements creates dependency
I can’t think of one Democratic intitiative that is bourne of American independance and drive, the qualities that made this country great.
10. LewWaters | November 21st, 2007 at 3:24 am
You do know what Republicans have filibustered more bills as of September of this session than Democrats had all of last year, right?
Who has been filibustering judicial nominees, ot even letting them come to a vote?
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