The first 100 hours

POSTED BY: BigDamnNobody
UPDATED: Saturday, January 6, 2007 23:28
VIEWED: 1839
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BIGDAMNNOBODY

Thursday, January 4, 2007 4:31 PM

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/01/04/congress-democrat.html

It looks like the Democrats will hit the ground running with a jam packed first 100 hours. Notably absent though is the main election issue, Iraq. I'm sure there will be more to follow as Iraq was the main reason the Dem's now find themselves in control.

And is this cause for concern?

Quote:

The legislation won't be open for much debate or amendment by the Republicans, the kind of heavy-handed tactics Democrats used to complain about when they were in the minority.

"It appears the 'first 100 hours' of the Democrats' legislative agenda will come from a smoke-filled room," said Republican House Representative Jeb Hensarling.

Democrats defend the move, saying they are merely delivering on election promises.

Posting to stir stuff up.

SOUPCATCHER

Thursday, January 4, 2007 7:51 PM

This particular whine falls under the category of, "Do as I say, not as I do."

Of all the whining that Republicans have engaged in since the country told them to take a long walk off a short pier this type is pretty shrug-worthy. When your complaint is, "Oh please don't do what we did when we were in charge," ... whatever ( *rolls eyes* ).

My personal favorite whine from Republican legislators, the one that had me laughing the longest, was the "You mean we have to work five days a week? WTF?!?" whine.

Check out Rep. Jack Kingston of Georgia, who is pissed that he won't be able to fly home on Thursday and return for work on Tuesday. Tuesday to Thursday work week? Damn. No wonder the 109th Congress did nothing. Those Republicans sure don't have a good work ethic. Lazy and shiftless if you ask me.

"Culture Shock on Capitol Hill: House to Work 5 Days a Week"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/05/AR2006
120501342_pf.html

HERO

Thursday, January 4, 2007 8:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SoupCatcher:
My personal favorite whine from Republican legislators, the one that had me laughing the longest, was the "You mean we have to work five days a week? WTF?!?" whine.

That one was pretty bad. Although, to be fair, a Congressman from the West Coast or Alaska might have a legitimate gripe since keeping in touch with their home districts is problematic. It would be bad to only see your congressman at home once every two years because Washington was so far away...although in the old days...

I recall that when the Republicans took control they had a marathon first session that was all about updating and making the House rules more fair (it needs doing every decade or so no matter who's in charge). Their legislative package was given considerably more time then 100 hours since they invited debate and allowed amendment proposals (they figured they had won on their promises, let the democrats joust those windmills since the Republicans had the votes to win in the end).

In this case the Democrats recognize that their agenda did little or nothing to carry this election, and in fact prolonged examination through debate would serve to inform the public which is something that the Democratic majority can't afford if they hope to retain or expand their power in two years.

Whats most interesting to me is that the Democrats have put together a really good agenda they plan to railroad through the House. I'm just wondering when it will get derailed. Will it be early on by they radical left, later by Senate filibuster, or ultimately by Presidential veto? After yesterday's anti-war disruptions I'm guessing soon and by the left rather then later by the right.

H

PIRATECAT

Thursday, January 4, 2007 9:09 PM

Did ya catch Lou Dobbs last night he hammered the dems about that election promise. I guess Cindy Shehan was on the capitol hill yelling at the dems about 3000 dead 20k wounded so on. I never agreed with the Reps bashen her but the Dems did use her. The woman is a mom who lost her son just should of let her be. But the issue still isn't talked about. If the Dems stay in Iraq I'll support em but don't cut the military budget if they got to stay. Stir it up.

"Battle of Serenity, Mal. Besides Zoe here, how many-" "I'm talkin at you! How many men in your platoon came out of their alive".

FINN MAC CUMHAL

Friday, January 5, 2007 12:54 AM

“The Democrats have promised to pursue an aggressive agenda in the first 100 hours of business, including pushing legislation to raise the minimum wage, increase stem cell research and cut interest rates on student loans.”
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/01/04/congress-democrat.html

raise the minimum wage -- BAD IDEA

Unqualifiedly, a bad idea. Raising the minimum wages will increase unemployment and hurt low-income wage earners. And there’s no upside to it. It’s an across the board bad idea. It’s a bit condescending on the part of the Democrats actually, because the only reason to contemplate this is because you think your constituency is too stupid to know any better. It’s a used carsalesmen stunt.

increase stem cell research -- VETOED

While I support stem cell research, there is a lot of advocacy politics and downright cruel “pro-choice” attitude that I don’t support. Either way, Bush will veto it. I’ll be interested to see what the Dems will come up with, though. I already have a sore distrust of pro-choice liberals on the issue of abortion, so if it doesn’t carry acceptable limitations on embryonic harvesting, I won’t support it.

cut interest rates on student loans -- BAD IDEA

Aren’t interest rates already at an all time low? Yes, they are. So there’s really no reason to do this? No, there’s not. As someone who spent nearly 10 years in college, I can attest to you the burden of student loans, but I can also tell you that as far as loans go, it is about the best money I’ve ever spent, with the best repayment plan of any loan I’ve ever had. Conclusion: Student loans work fine. Leave them alone. But Democrats want to half the student loan interest rates because, according to them, they want to make college more assessable. Much like the minimum wage stuff, this is a false-case fallacy. It doesn’t make any sense. Reducing my cost for paying for my various degrees is not going to help someone trying to get into college. In fact, it’s probably going to hurt them, because increases in financial aid are often followed by increases in tuition. I make good money. I can afford to pay off my student loans at the current interest rate; and I don’t think an ambitious young student need have his or her tuition increased so that I can payoff my student loans faster. Once again, another used carsalesmen stunt.

Nihil est incertius vulgo, nihil obscurius voluntate hominum, nihil fallacius ratione tota comitiorum.

Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than public opinion, nothing more deceptive than the whole political system.

-- Cicero

BIGDAMNNOBODY

Friday, January 5, 2007 2:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SoupCatcher:
Of all the whining that Republicans have engaged in since the country told them to take a long walk off a short pier this type is pretty shrug-worthy. When your complaint is, "Oh please don't do what we did when we were in charge," ... whatever ( *rolls eyes* ).

Hey Soup, say it ain't so. I thought blind partisanship was not your thing. I think this speaks more to the Dem's credibility than simple whining. The Dem's campaigned pretty hard on bringing accountability, transperancy, and integrity back to Government. Then at their first opportunity, they choose a more conservative approach.

I was really hoping to hear from posters who may have voted Democrat because of Iraq. Perhaps you are one of those posters. Why after the election did Iraq all of a sudden take a back seat to raising the minimum wage, funding for stem cell research, and student loans? I thought those kind of bait and switch tactics were more the GOP's forte.

Quote:

My personal favorite whine from Republican legislators, the one that had me laughing the longest, was the "You mean we have to work five days a week? WTF?!?" whine.

Check out Rep. Jack Kingston of Georgia, who is pissed that he won't be able to fly home on Thursday and return for work on Tuesday. Tuesday to Thursday work week? Damn. No wonder the 109th Congress did nothing. Those Republicans sure don't have a good work ethic. Lazy and shiftless if you ask me.

Instead you post about some Republican whining about his work week.
Dodge, duck, weave.

Posting to stir stuff up.

SHINYED

Friday, January 5, 2007 6:20 PM

Doesn't it take at least 100 hours for Pelosi to put on her make-up?

or..at least that long for Barney Frank to brush his teeth and gargle?

RUE

Saturday, January 6, 2007 1:27 AM

Pelosi and Reid JUST came out and told Bush he needs to bring an end to Iraq.

So all of you a******s who couldn't wait for the Dems to actually take control before criticizing them for what they've done and not done - go eff yourselves. Or each other. Leave us honest fok alone.

JONGSSTRAW

Saturday, January 6, 2007 1:25 PM

I read that President Bush has gone out and purchased a large-sized Brown coat, one with very deep pockets. For all those who slept through Government class in school( do they still teach that?)...we're gonna see him using the "silent" pocket veto option more frequently than our convoys get ambushed and blown up in Fallujah.

I keep hearing that old Animals song " We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" playing in my head...just about every day for the last few years. I only pray that when the Dems can finally override to end the war funding, that the withdrawl is done with some measure of intelligence and dignity....I don't want to see another Saigon fiasco where Americans are desperately escaping from rooftops and leaving our friends stranded there at the mercy of the insurgent murderers, whoever they actually are.

Additionally, I want to see former Defense Sec. Rumsfeld arrested and charged with negligent homicide, reckless indifference, and murder for the deaths of 3,000 American soldiers. Under his bungled, inept, and outright retarded instructions those brave boys & girls didn't have a chance.

Also, the THOUSANDS of wounded and crippled soldiers must have justice!...I suggest a huge class-action lawsuit against Bush & Cheney that would take their mega-millions away from them and get it into the hands of these "invisible", almost forgotten heroes.

FREMDFIRMA

Saturday, January 6, 2007 3:23 PM

Honestly...

I don't think they've got the guts.
The naming of pelosi as speaker still indicates an unfavorable amount of foreign influance on our legislative process, and without some real hard pushing, I don't see that changing anytime soon - and as long as such influance is present, the needs and wants of us mere citizens are at best, secondary.

And you'll not likely be hearing too much from Conyers until he somehow digs himself out from under the shitstorm we buried him in for not pursuing impeachment - he pissed off his constituents really, really badly with that one because anything less is a stopgap solution to the simple fact that the executive branch has gone renegade.

The constant usurpations of authority, and blatant defiance of the checks and balances system leaves no other alternative, and this latest workaround is as meaningless as those before it - if they cut off the funding, then it will simply be looted from somewhere else in the budget, or rebudgeted via abuse of the executive order, and we're back to square one.

Congress themselves are far from innocent, in illegally abdicating the power to declare war and thus breaching our system of checks and balances in such fashion.

Closing the barn door once the cattle have stampeded accomplishes nothing, and unless the runaway executive branch is reined in with the tools and methods integral to the process, don't expect matters to change one whit.

Impeachment is the only viable solution, and the only damn thing this congress should be doing, period - all else should stop until this is done, otherwise they're just uselessly nibbling at the branches instead of getting to the root of the problem.

If they want even one ounce of respect from me, they'll have to stop grovelling like faithless curs whimpering to lick the masters fingers.

The message we need to send to them fools on the hill is, "Grow a set, or get out."
Not really simpler than that.

-Frem

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