Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he'll force a cloture vote on the House Republicans' spending bill late tonight or very early tomorrow morning. That bill cuts $57 billion, much of it in ways designed to light up the Republicans' rightward base. (UPDATE from NBC's Ken Strickland: Senate votes Wednesday around 3.)
The Hill reports that Republican Whip Jon Kyl "ran from reporters after a party lunch" today, saying he didn't yet know whether everyone in his caucus is on board. More?
[Senate Majority Whip Dick] Durbin said the Senate GOP is avoiding the vote "because it is a painful vote for those who still cling to the belief that they are moderate Republicans. Look at the riders. I can think a half a dozen Republican senators who do not want to be on record cutting funding for Planned Parenthood."
"They may not want to be on record on some of the environmental cuts. Think of some names here. Now they’re stuck: take it or leave it, HR 1. I think they want to leave it and they are embarrassed to leave it after the House has made such a show of it," he said.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has stuck to the Republican line, that his party is trying to do something and Democrats won't cooperate. "Where is the President?" he asked, in a release titled "A Tragic Failure of Leadership."
Senator Reid sounds like he sees an opportunity to play offense. Today he accused Republicans of going back on their deal with Vice President Biden to vote on the Republican spending plan and the Democratic one. "That was the deal. But now Republicans are reneging on that deal. They don't want to vote on their own bill."
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Go Mr Reid-about time we need to hear some backbone from the Senate-you still have the power there!
Rachel, I absolutely love you and love your show. I watch you every day!!! You kick ass girl! Love ya'
Just thinking the same thing, love me some Rachel!
No, Mr. McConnell, I believe you should be asking "Where are the jobs we promised?" instead of "Where is the President?"
It's adult time. Please return to your 19th Century Dreamland. Let the big boys play.
Can we just admit it? Were screwed. Listen and hope a politician says the right thing and say 'yay'? LOL you guys are funny... 'Oh look, it's all better. I told you they would fix things.' Does anybody, even for a second, believe that we will ever say that?
Sen McConnell asked where is the President? Well if the Republicans made a deal with the Democrats and the Vice President, then the White House is involved through the Office of the Vice President. I am a Republican, the Republican party needs to grow the F*&k up and do what the American people voted for them to do, CREATE JOBS!!! If they do vote on their budget they know they are going to kill thousands of jobs, House Speaker has already said that and said it without a care in the world.
Joshua,
They have NO IDEA how to create jobs. They only know how to posture for the RW ers and try to kill anything good about government.
Thank you so much for being able to say this. I have been going to some conservative websites to see what people are saying, and it's so "lockstep" in nature with a lot of slogans but not a lot of real information--the kind that refers to data... My reason for going there was to try to share some information (with references) because this group is not only voting against their own self-interests--they are voting against the interests of the rest of us. I was thinking if I could make sense to anyone there that was a good thing. No real luck. What do you suggest for my GOP friends stuck in "Limbaugh Land?" I'm trying to to be sarcastic or hateful--we have way too many important issues for that. It just feels to me like a lot of republicans have had thier morals and values hijacked by those who would use their faith for political gains. Would love to hear if anyone has actually been successful at having a thoughtful conversation with them.
Most Republicans on the hill seem to ignore the hulking, 800 pound gorilla in the room that is the Military Budget. However, here is an expenditure that no one is talking about, drug awareness programs and anti-smoking programs. America has been having it's ass kicked by the war on drugs since Reagan declared it. I think it's time we scaled some of that funding back. I'm not calling for an end to treatment programs or enforcement, just these ad campaigns and awareness programs. They don't make up for a lack of parenting. The best prevention against drugs is parenting.
Better yet - end Prohibition altogether! Maybe you could dedicate a portion of the taxes on marijuana to funding the treatment programs, etc.?
Fixed. Next?
What shall we do now Republicans? We wanted to get ourselves in power, we pandered to the TP ers and now they want us to DO SOMETHING!!!
I do like the sound of Dems going on offense. They need to tell R's you've got to cut off this giant mess over here.. in the Defense budget. It would be OK to cut a big hunk of that off.
So for Lent I thought about giving up being a Liberal. You know so I could blame everyone else for my own problems while explaining to them theirs. Then I remembered I have two kids, an ex-wife, a little sister, two dogs, and a (careful here) wonderful girlfriend... thus I already 'Get That!'.
Decided to give up BBQ and Chocolate instead.
One of my favorite President Clinton lines was (to paraphrase) that the Republicans just never had a problem with letting the truth get in their way. Hoping to see some good material debate begin for a change, and call everyone's bet. It's time to move forward.
How long is Lent? I think I'd give up being a liberal for a little while before chocolate!
I'm sure the Republicans are having second thoughts about anything that puts the annual Cowboy Poetry Festival t in jeopardy.
www youtube.com/watch?v=CMtypnoTacI
OMG...Democrats showing backbone??? A sure sign of the Apocalypse! Careful now, the Republicans might start name calling...
...oh wait..they already did..nevermind.
$15.5 billion dollar war on drugs budget undercounts the real costs; part of which is the Federal Bureau of Prisons budgeted at $8.3 billion, half of prisoners in on federal drug offenses.
"We could take over the country in a bloodless war, by flooding them with drugs; destroying their young people, the work force, increased crime, and full prisons with the destruction of families. We could destroy their economy and their country".
People need to wake up and smell the cockroach infested GOP coffee we have been drinking for some time now. You are so absolutely right. And it is working.
It's about time for Democrats to get their balls out of the freezer. Please don't put them back.
Josh,
You sound like a reasonable guy. You should know that your party entirely rejects reason these days. Maybe vote Dem next time?
Lets not get to carried away here after all Dems. let Republicans get away with voting down the bill to strip the Oil companys of thier tax breaks without nearly a complaint. They should have been on any news show that would have them to let everyone who would listen know about this. I would have been shouting this from every roof top I could find!
Excuse me?! Hello, Anyone home??? Health Care Reform? Housing Crisis? Unemployment Benefits? Banking Reform? Must I go on? The Democrats have tried to make things better. Where was the Republican cooperation. All I have seen from the Republicans is obstruction of progress. What a sad, sad display of professionalism.
First, a non-paid, very political announcement/plea: RACHEL! Please come to Austin TX. I know you could fill the Paramount Theatre for three days straight, like you did the Y in N.Y. And the wealth of muck-raking material that awaits you! Rick Perry-3 term Secessionist Governor, $27billion Budget shortfall, giant tax breaks to corporations (see Item #2). Home of Molly Ivins. Jim Hightower. G.W. Bush. T.Boone Pickens. Rachel! Come to TEXAS!!
Let the blood-letting begin! Majority Leader Reid is being so absolutely right with forcing the Republicans to vote on the House bill. You BET! Get those Republicans on RECORD for being against the environment, against Planned Parenthood and family planning, against children and old people. Yep! And publish the results of the vote in EVERY newspaper in the country--in EVERY Senate District in the country. Look---these people are going to realize that there ARE political consequences for their actions.
I would meet you in Austin. And you are so right. I read earlier on one of these blogs, 'it is really too bad the GOP didn't win this last election. The country would be in such bad shape by 2012 that we would have won a real majority in both the house and senate.' I don't know how I feel about it right now.
I was waiting for the train at grand central last night and saw this boy maybe 10 or 11 years old. He had a big plastic garbage bag which was clear that it held most if not all of his belongings. It was slightly torn from being carried around. I think he was waiting for his mom who was in the bathroom. I looked at this kid and I got angry, I got angry cause all the repubs talk about having to cut spending and programs that affect someone like this kid. I got angry cause they howl at how they need to fix the deficit when their party are the ones who created it. I got angry cause they vilify this kid as being the problem.I got angry cause they are now back in power with the same policies that got us into this mess in the first place. I got angry cause they no longer call it trickle down economics they now call it tax cuts to help rich people spend more money. This little kid is not the problem. This little kid is not some loafer who is just living off the government hand outs. This little kid is poor. He's poor and its not his fault. And what are we doing about it? Telling him it's his fault and that we are going to give him even less. We are going to give him less teachers. Less affordable housing. Less kindness and understanding. I got angry cause I was once this kid and I know the struggles he faces and my country that I love seems to think he's expendable. They seem to think I was expendable.
I'm angry. I am that kid. We all at some point where that kid. And just cause we are doing ok and have a house and a little money doesnt mean that kid deserves less. It means we dig deep and reach out to that kid. Say, hey life sucks but we are here to help.
Instead that kid got up when his mom came out put his bag on his head and walked away. And I felt like crying.
Where are all those so called "more generous" wealthy people that we are told give so much to charity?
I know there are more out there, you can see the data, wealth floating out of Middle Class into the Upper incomes pockets...