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solvs
Jun 9, 2008, 03:48 AM
This was missed during the end of the Dem nomination process:

Not that anyone's watching, but the Senate has shut down (http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0608/Not_that_anyones_watching_but_the_Senate_has_shut_down.html)
Overshadowed by the hype of Barack Obama's victory lap on the Senate floor today is a simmering dispute between Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell over President Bush's remaining judicial nominees.

McConnell has essentially shut down the Senate floor this afternoon by forcing the Senate clerk to read aloud the entire 500 page global warming bill. So if legislative language is your thing, turn on C-SPAN and watch the Senate at its best, or worst, depending on your perspective.
More:

Reid Spokesman: Republicans' Baseless Attacks Cannot Mask Their Lack Of Vision On Global Warming (http://democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=298740&)
“More generally, Senate Democrats have treated President Bush’s judicial nominations with far greater deference than President Clinton’s were afforded by a Republican-controlled Senate that denied hearings or floor consideration for almost 70 Clinton nominees. Three-quarters of President Bush’s court of appeals nominees have been confirmed, while only ha*lf of President Clinton’s appellate nominations were confirmed. Last year the Senate confirmed 40 judges, more than during any of the three previous years with Republicans in charge, and today’s federal judicial vacancy rate is the lowest it has been in years.”

Meanwhile there are real issues going on that are only still being ignored a little:

Feds Gone Wild; Reports Highlight Worst Crimes by Officials (http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Story?id=4998290&page=1)



motulist
Jun 9, 2008, 03:58 AM
Gosh, that's not news, what's news is that britney is now a couple of pounds overweight! Maybe one day there'll be real journalism back in the news that most people consume, but that day is not today.

ert3
Jun 9, 2008, 09:50 AM
The senate has been pointedly working against the president for the past year or so anyway.

Maybe with the bastards distracted we can atleast stop this infighting that is killing our nation until November.

That said I am not partisan in anyway I simply think it is childish that out senate wants to cause political upheaval for the sake of making their own party look better.

We always fail when the senate and president are not working together.

Devided we fail my friends

themadchemist
Jun 9, 2008, 11:44 AM
When the Democrats were in the minority, I argued that floor tactics like this were justified to keep a check on the majority. I'll argue the same now. The Democrats have simultaneously failed to treat the Republicans fairly and to be effective in its legislative agenda. It's ironic that on some of their most important issues (including the Iraq War funding matter), the Democrats couldn't use their hardball techniques very well. But if the Democrats are going to play hardball (well or not), the Republicans certainly can, too.


We always fail when the senate and president are not working together.

Devided we fail my friends


We fail quite a bit when the Senate and President are working together, too. Case in point: The first six years of the Bush administration.