Dec 17 2007
Surrendercrats Finally Get Some Failure
The Surrendercrats started the year promising al-Qaeda they would run from Iraq, dismantle our national defenses, and – hidden from public view – impeach the evil Bushitler. I was so sure they would come into power to naively do Bin Laden’s bidding I wrote The Democrat Contract With al-Qaeda in early 2006. To this day still amazes me how much of that contract the Democrats have tried to make happen. Their push for failure has been relentless, and it has cost them. They came into this year like lions, but they are ending it as sheep. But they did get some a defeat out of it all:
Congressional Democrats swept into office in 2007 expecting to be able to flex their new majorities in the House and Senate and shape the nation’s appropriations policy. However, bruised both by clashes with the White House and their own liberal base, the Democrats are limping into the holiday recess with little to show as they prepare to pass a $516 billion catch-all spending bill.
The Wall Street Journal reports, “Eager to go home, Democrats unveiled a year-end spending bill that is a pale imitation of Congress’s springtime budget but still puts their imprint on government priorities ranging from climate change to homeland security and education.” The result is “to effectively surrender 80% of what Democrats once hoped to add to the president’s top line.” The AP reports it was “a disappointing defeat for Democrats seeking to add $27 billion to domestic programs, an almost 7 percent increase.”
The new funding bill also includes stealth funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – but don’t tell the liberal base, they are supposed to figure that out. The Dems aren’t only going to fail on the budget either. Their plans to dismantle our security apparatus, which protects us from terrorist attack, are also now heading to defeat:
The Senate appears poised to hand the White House another victory with a measure that would make permanent an expansion of government spy powers and shield phone companies from liability for assisting government eavesdropping.
With floor consideration scheduled to start today, Democrats are split on how to cut back on the administration’s surveillance powers. The only option that appears to have sufficient backing is a bipartisan measure the White House has blessed. Opponents of the White House-backed bill are increasingly predicting a White House win.
…
Such a result will give Republicans the upper hand in fashioning a final compromise with the House in January, when Democrats may be more willing to compromise for fear of appearing weak on national security as election season heats up.
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“I’m predicting a rerun of the movie,” said Rep. Jane Harman (D., Calif.), referring to the hastily passed August law that temporarily expanded spy powers. “The Senate passes a bad bill, and it’s that bill or nothing.”
Let’s be clear here. The bill is only ‘bad’ for dems who will once again fail their far left base, and for al-Qaeda who will not have loop holes and bureaucratic delays they can try and wiggle around to pull of an attack here in the US. Oh yes, and the trial lawyers trying to sue telecom companies for doing what the government told them was required to ensure there would not be another 9-11. The bill is only bad for these groups. For the rest of us it is great news. It means are defense will be back to full strength
I don’t see why the dems are so down. Heck, they wanted failure for America and they produced it!
This morning the most far left blogs are trying to rally support for a filibuster of the FISA bill to be headed up by Dodd.
From the tone of their postings, it sounds like they are not getting as much support as they have hoped for and a bit of desperation is in the air.
The tactic they are working on in general over on the left is to not blame totally the Dems for the do nothing congress from passing only non starter bills, even though there is some of that, but they are going to try to scream obstructionist Reps plus a veto happy President and demand a veto proof majority in both houses and the White House to boot to “make things fair”.
Similarly a caller to Bennet’s show this morning started out blaming the President for the Do Nothing Congress, and he then spending several minutes telling us how that filibustering was the problem….. When pray tell did the President get the privilege to Filibuster?????
…Ing vs t
Also when did he get the magical power to force them Dems to keep sending up bills he already told them in advance he would veto and why.
On many of them I also blame the Republicans for letting them reach his desk to have to be vetoed in the first place.
Merlin,
I see that in one of your posts, you were observant of the lack of support on the filibustering of the FISA bill. Another sign leading me to question whether the Democrats really, really have the votes by next November, in spite of the campaign contributions.
Also, the increasing use of the Internet to get the most accurate news might achieve the goals of the McCain-Feingold bill making the campaign contributions less important. Ya think?
Ron Paul’s 5 million in 24 hours is scary, though. Wonder if he will run as an independent after he sees the the results of the Republican primaries. A friend of mine says that if it comes between Rudy and Hillary, he would vote for Ron Paul. He compares Rudy and Hillary as equal and does not want either of them in the WH.
So if Ron Paul ends up running as an independent, will he help put Hillary in the WH? Even if it’s not possible, that’s a scary thought.
Dah Kos kids are in a tizzy
You couldn’t ask for a better demonstration of the manifest failures of Democratic leadership in the Senate than the fact that Chris Dodd plans to lead a filibuster against a lousy bill that Harry Reid insists on bringing to the floor. A Democratic presidential candidate, backed by other prominent Democrats, leading a filibuster against the Democratic leadership.
It’s a bill that incorporates a bizarre provision granting retroactive immunity for corporate law breaking. It rewards George Bush’s own lawlessness. It nullifies a solid lawsuit that would expose some of the darker secrets of Bush’s national security state.
It’s a provision opposed by all the leading Democratic presidential candidates, who support the better bill that the Senate Judiciary Committee voted out. It’s a provision that Harry Reid says he also opposes.
It’s a bill that doesn’t need to be voted on in a rush before the Christmas recess.
We watched and fumed for years as Democrats played dead on issue after issue under a corrupt Republican-led Senate, and now, at long last, they’re giving us a filibuster? Against themselves?
Did voters oust Republicans last year in order to get this kind of Democratic leadership?
This is crazy.
Hillary is having issues now all the way to South Carolina, but she still holds commanding leads in a lot of follow on states and owns California with all it’s electoral votes.
Right now I believe the press may work on her a little but when needed get behind her like Rocky getting ready for a fight and declare her the comeback kid.
Even the Kos himself ain’t to happy this morning
In short, “holds” bottle up legislation if Republicans place them. Not so much if Democrats do.
And here I thought Reid was the Democratic majority leader. I’m done with him.
Dodd for majority leader!
HMMMMMMMMM now only if we can get him and Momma Sheehan to sing in two part harmony
Lurker
MF (yeah thats what I call it) did more damage than good. At least before daddy deep pockets had to put his name on his donation and it was traceable.
Now foundations and bigs bucks people feed through 527’s for the most part and nobody has a clue who is putting the fix in.
Tides Foundation is the biggest one passing the money through like a blessed money laundering company and taking their percentage off the top.
Reid just cut Dodd’s throat on the floor of the Senate. He is putting a 60 vote cloture requirement even on the proposed Dodd amendment to remove the retroactive amnesty for phone companies. They are still arguing back and forth and if Reid holds heads will be exploding on the left.
FISA cloture passed 76-10
Wow, it did? So Dodd lost?
The bill itself as a whole passed cloture super majorities will be required for the follow up stuff including any amendments such as the one Dodd is supporting to remove the telecom protection amendment removal.
Took a nap, but now on Cspan 2 the protections for the telecom companies is being debated.
Jane Hamsher over at FDL is supporting the Glenn Greenwald petition which sits on Dodd’s side of the issue.
The debate going on over the telecom protections in the FISA bill is in some ways being fought over the separation of powers aspects of the amendment.
What is being over looked in the whole debate is that in fact the FISA bill as a whole is a congressional encroachment on the Executive Branch to conduct intelligence operations in pursuit of his constitutional position of Commander in Chief.
The FISA Court is a judicial branch insertion into the executive branch actions authorized via the congressional branch.
Care to think what congress would say if cabinet staff had to sit in on and approve congressional committee actions and efforts?
Heck we saw how congress had a cow when the FBI with warrants search Cold Cash Jefferson’s offices.
Breaking News
Reid is pulling the FISA bill till next year with the realization it was going to take up to much time with a number of other bills that HAVE to get done before the Xmas recess.