Sour Grapes Legislation
Several months before the 2010 mid-term elections, when it was already obvious the Democrats would get a shellacking, Sobbin’ Hood announced that he didn’t want Congress to pass any “sour grapes legislation” during their lame duck session.
Tough shit, Weepy.
Don’t Ask Don’t Tell got repealed.
The New START agreement finally got ratified by the Senate.
Congress has finally passed the aid package for 9/11 First Responders (yes, it was a watered-down version).
We’ve got a new expanded food safety bill.
Unemployment benefits have finally been extended (yes, coupled with billionaires’ tax cuts).
And after at least five years of wrangling, we’ve actually got a net neutrality law, watered down as it is. (I know, that was the FCC and not Congress, but still…)
These are some proud achievements from a group of Democrats who’ve spent the past year and a half getting bullied, stymied and shat on by Republicans.
The next two years will be full of gridlock and mutual hatred like we’ve never seen. But for now — You Go 111th Congress.
Labels: 9/11 first responders, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, net neutrality, New START, sour grapes legislation, unemployment benefits
posted by Tom Harper @ 12:34 AM
22 Comments:
Junket John will work real hard to "correct" a lot of this.
At least as hard as a chronic alcoholic who can't find is own ass is capable of working.
I'm sure plenty of this crap will get nuked or plastered over next session. Gee, it's almost as if the goopers and dums are playing a game.
The 9/1 bill was passed because the bill to corporations was taken off.
Do you even care what Net Neutrality is nothing more than an open door for more government intrusion that was passed illegally. Who are these FCC dudes anyway. Just more bureaucrats that nobody ever heard of ad they come in with sweeping power to do this.
Ia can't wait till these laws come and bite you in the ass because think again of you think you are immune.
Now we get to get approval from Russia ion the START treaty. Isn't that sweet?
Their track record on Treaties isn't all that.
The food safety bill is just another way to bring in revenue to the government. Yes sometimes shit happens but your think the government is going to help that? It's not like people are dying all over the country from food poisoning.
The only thing I can go along with is DADT. It's no one's business who prefers sex with which sex.
I think this was just throwing some crumbs to the peasants before they take power. Now you watch as the republicans say Obama just put us further in debt even though most of this was their plan. And they are doing nothing but dumping all of this on the states. Watch as the republicans yet again cut the federal budget and funding to the states.
I agree with everybody else, Come next term all this "cooperation" will go to the can and unless Obama and Democrats band together he won't come out of his office.
Erik
The most productive lame duck Congress since WWII?
Nothing but a full crock of shit.
The sooner moderate,"ordinary' Democrats wake up and see that Obama is a closet Republican the better.
Obama is all about Obama,GET IT?
And to think I voted for the sorry
bastard.
PATHETIC.
Political prisoners, torturing before even charged with a crime, assassinating Americans, widespread bank fraud and criminal activity, entrenching trickle down economics as the official policy of the USG no matter the party in power, the beginning of the end of Social Security, the beginning of the end of the free and open internet….
BUT HEY DADT WAS ALMOST REPEALED!!!!!!!
CLAP HARDER DAMMIT!
all you need is cap and trade then you can rock yourself to sleep each night regreting what you wished for.
I mean why not control energy being they now control healthcare,the food supply, and the internet
The new Weeper of the House, won't have to work that hard come January. Apparently Eric Cantor will have them all working 2 weeks then get a week off. At least they won't be able to do much damamge if they are taking all that time off right? I say this sarcastically so no need for answers.
The fact that an exec order was singed, to detain people indefinitely is a big mark in the negative column from me. The wars continuing, the fact that they put more money into the nuclear program, while at the same time, lowering the amount of nukes makes no sense to this pacifist at all. The 9-11 bill had to be watered down to pacify Coburn(sorry bastard OK).
The sooner moderate,"ordinary' Democrats wake up and see that Obama is a closet Republican the better.
There are no 'ordinary' Democrats anymore. There are conservative Democrats and there are there are reactionary Republicans.
There hasn't been a meaningful liberal or progressive voice in American government since at least Clinton's first term, maybe not since Bush I.
JR: He'll work as hard as his Wall Street puppetmasters tell him to.
Randal: Playing a game -- yup, it's just an act to keep the rubes distracted and entertained.
Anonymous: I take it you weren't too happy with this session of Congress.
Demeur: Well, when you've been starving all year, crumbs taste mighty good. You're right, the Republicans will have more fun than ever when the new Congress begins.
Erik: I hope this lame duck session gave Obama and the Democrats the morale boost and momentum that they've needed. If not, things won't be pretty.
Anonymous 12:41 p.m.: Unfortunately, the choice was Obama or McSame. If Obama was any further to the left, he wouldn't have gotten elected. But I do hope he'll start being a stronger leader.
Anonymous 12:44 p.m.: I'm clapping as hard as I can. True, there've been a lot of disappointments in these 2 years. But at least they came to life in the past week or 2 and got some laws passed, even if the bills were watered down.
Anon. 2:36 p.m.: Yes, cap & trade will have to wait 'til next year. Then our communist takeover will be complete, and America will fall to her knees.
Jess: I'm sure the new Teabag Congress will work the kind of easy schedule already made famous by Reagan and Dumbya.
Sure, there's a lot that goes in the negative column. I'm just surprised the session ended as well as it did. Next year should be "interesting."
Thomas: The political "center" keeps moving further to the right. A few years ago, wackos like Michele Bachmann wouldn't even get any media publicity, let alone being elected to Congress. Yesterday's rightwing nutcase is today's mainstream Republican.
I'm hoping that losing the House has revitalized President Obama and he will continue on his current path of really pushing for what he wants. I know it may be difficult once the GOP takes over the House but after all, with them filibustering everything in the Senate for the first two years of Obama's term, it hasn't exactly been easy so far. How much worse can it be? I think Obama has finally learned his lesson and is going to fight for what he wants. I hope so anyway. While I wish he'd pushed harder for progressive legislation in the past two years we have to give him credit for what he has accomplished despite the GOP's obstructionist policies.
Who wants to go on record as someone who voted against unemployment benefits, a nuclear arms treaty, aid to first responders, or something that keeps people from serving their country based on sexual preferences? The criticism that goes with not supporting these things could be pretty damaging to their political hopes in a couple of years.
This stuff is all popular. If any of the new kids in town try to go about repealing any of these things, they would hurt their chances at re-election... so I don't think they will go after these things at all. They will overreach just like Newt's kids did in 1994, and this time they will go after bigger targets like Social Security and Medicare. And because so many Americans like those things too, the newcomers will seal their own fate.
What a great way to get the independent voters to move leftward once more... just get real draconian and support measures that hurt people more than help the country, and it will happen! I'm already looking forward to the 2012 elections, as I believe they will be very interesting. If the Dems are smart and play their cards right (and get some decent talking points going and stay on message constantly like their opponents do), we will have Obama until 2016 and the Dems will gradually regain some lost seats in Congress.
Mauigirl and Snave, get the damn stars out of your eyes.
How much worse it can be you don't want to know.
Obama is a soldout corporatewhore, he will not be re-elected,THANKFULLY.
No, no tea partier here either.
Hurry, get to bed or Santy might not come!
Good recognition for some things that have gone right for a change, Tom. I'm with you.
Now, who let the trolls in?
Thomas, you need to learn more about Sens. Bernie Sanders, Sherrod Brown, Pat Leahy and Barbara Boxer; and about Reps. Nancy Pelosi, Alan Grayson, Dennis Kucinich, Anthony Weiner and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, to name a few. Let's not forget the late Sen. Ted Kennedy either.
As for what's coming up, House Republicans are the lowest form of legislative life in the country, although Sens. McCain and Kyl are vying to wrest that dubious distinction from them with all the perversity they've got. So yes, it's going to get messy, and Dems are going to have an even harder time getting anything worthwhile done.
The best we can probably hope for is that the deal making will be minimal and Democrats will be able to keep the forces of darkness and selfishness from rolling back too many of the gains made thus far.
I have to admit that I'm impressed by the amount of legislation passed this month. Now we just have to see how meaningful that legislation will be.
Tom, I wanted to let you know that Oso put up a post at my site...you should drop by and give it a read, Oso is a really great writer - I know you know him from at least my comments section, don't know if you've read any of his posts at Mad Mikes.
Mauigirl: That's what I hope too, that Obama and the Democrats will be reinvigorated next year and more willing to fight. That's what happened to Clinton after the 1994 election, so there's hope.
Snave: Unfortunately it doesn't matter to Republicans that they go on record as being against motherhood and apple pie and in favor of cancer and AIDS. They don't need to care what the general public thinks. They reach their "base" through talk radio and Fox News, and they communicate through primal soundbites that totally bypass the intellect and go straight to that part of the brain where fear and anger rule.
I do hope that the voters who sat out this election -- independents and people who think Obama is too conservative -- will vote in 2012. As disappointing as the Democrats have been (up until two weeks ago), there really is a difference between the two parties.
Anonymous: Who would you rather have than Obama? Somebody who could actually get elected, that is.
SW: You're right about the legislators you named. But in general, the political center has moved to the right. Not too long ago, a loonytune like Michele Bachmann would have had to stand on a street corner with a sign and a bullhorn in order to get noticed. Now, she (and other teabaggers) not only gets showered with media attention; some of them are actually getting elected.
Next year should be interesting. I hope the Democrats can keep up their momentum from the past week and a half, but the Republicans will be meaner and lowlier than ever.
Bee: I'll check it out. I do remember Oso from your comments section and Mad Mike's (I haven't gone over there for a long time).
I think we need bumper stickers that say "Tough Shit Weepy"...perfect...
All together now: Where are the jobs, Weepy?
Next Year
Massive tax breaks for industry. This tax break was just a start
Erik
Debbie Wasserman Schultz IS very impressive.
Always liked Kucinich.
Thanks,
Your 'Troll'
http://www.gocomics.com/tomtoles/2010/12/09
Erik
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