Once again ole Mitch makes his move - isn't there something somewhere that can be used against obstructionism such as we see here with this looney toons whose life mission is blocking anything that Mr. Obama might think a step forward for our fair nation such as his nominee for Mr. Holder's job? These are not interesting times - these are willfully mean and stupid times that seem to have taken on a life of their own.
39
I am just shocked. The republican party is pro-life? Really? Wow! That is really a surprise.
6
It could be argued that Aaron Schock, by his legislative fecklessness, performed a greater service to his country than any of his more "activist" GOP comrades. Anything they touch, they break.
20
What if democrats stuck an anti-death penalty clause in bills? That would get the right-to-lifers hypocritically howling
39
It's all because of an Hydden amendment.
9
Great job Ms Collins I always enjoy reading your column. Our leadership has become worse than a bunch of toddlers. Hypocrisy and allegiance to the Kochs is their way of life. Problem is our citizenry is not what are the right words oh yeah educated and involved.
44
What a farce.
I'm pretty sure there is software that tracks all users' changes to documents.
I'm pretty sure there is software that tracks all users' changes to documents.
27
Forget old Aaron Schock's Downton Abbey pheasant feathers, the Senate needs the Dowager Herself to cast shade and heap scorn on the American goofuses running the place. She could instill the proper sense of shame in even a guy as dense and self-righteously smug as Tom Cotton, bringing his Arkansas boardhouse reach to the foreign policy of America and burping loudly at the President's negotiating table. I am sure she would inform John Cornyn that he looks sleazy with his insidious trick of hiding his fanatic abortion views in legislation. It is simply Not To Be Done.
59
This is one of many examples of the lack of involvement in almost all bills. The bills are written by staff, influenced by lobby groups and polls, sneaky things inserted in bills that have no relationship to the sneaky thing inserted and then it is rushed to the floor where the members all want to leave ASAP (two days a week is asking a lot of their money raising time) and it is voted on. Afterwards there is all the excuses about the staff did it, I was not told etc. Whose fault? its us the electorate we elect these folks to do nothing and worse to do really dumb things.
29
Since Congress is full of lawyers and exceptionally adept in drafting legislation, perhaps a useful bill would be one that requires only subject matter related to the title of the bill only be in the body of the bill....and no bill be more than 10 pages of 12 pitch Times New Roman, single spaced........
"Where there are many words there is much evil".
"Where there are many words there is much evil".
24
There's a backlog here ; we haven't plumbed the depths of their old lows before they hit us with new ones.
26
"The idea was to fine sexual predators and give the money to groups that help sex-trafficking victims."
Really? How about some serious jail time for the sexual predators and their customers,
Really? How about some serious jail time for the sexual predators and their customers,
19
It was Sen. Cornyn who put the language in the bill, and it is different from the Hyde Amendment. The money involved is not federal money but money from fines. Also the Corney language has this in effect for 5 years, not the 1 year of the Hyde Amendment.
The victims affected by this change are often pregnant child victims of sex trafficking who would have a difficult time proving their rapes. About 3/4 of sex trafficking victims become pregnant during their abuse - probably because they are raped multiple times a day, according to a 2004 study by Loyola University.
There was deception here. A list of changes from the previous year was circulated to the senators, and this change was not among them.
It is a tragedy that Republicans are trying to force their religious views on these vulnerable victims of terrible rape and abuse.
Why is such a provision in a sex trafficking bill anyway?
The victims affected by this change are often pregnant child victims of sex trafficking who would have a difficult time proving their rapes. About 3/4 of sex trafficking victims become pregnant during their abuse - probably because they are raped multiple times a day, according to a 2004 study by Loyola University.
There was deception here. A list of changes from the previous year was circulated to the senators, and this change was not among them.
It is a tragedy that Republicans are trying to force their religious views on these vulnerable victims of terrible rape and abuse.
Why is such a provision in a sex trafficking bill anyway?
63
So... this has gotten so insane, I would NOT be surprised if the Democrats "had quietly added a stipulation requiring all trafficking victims be barred from carrying a concealed weapon". Can we please get serious about the business of governing this nation and for ONCE stop playing the "I hate you because you are on the opposite team and I will never, ever support anything you do and if I do, I will make sure I insert some language that you will find impossible to ignore and then we'll just continue to hate and not get anything done". For once?
12
"excusable only if the Senate Judiciary Committee is suffering from a shortage of lawyers"
Please, no more lawyers. What they need are a few grad students with lap tops.
Please, no more lawyers. What they need are a few grad students with lap tops.
11
Hilarious, Ms. Collins. Thank you.
Anyone who thinks human trafficking - of anyone anywhere - is wrong should just wear pheasant feathers in a hat to help the cause since the Republican-controlled Congress is unable to govern, to lead, or to address this or any issue anywhere affecting anyone.
Anyone who thinks human trafficking - of anyone anywhere - is wrong should just wear pheasant feathers in a hat to help the cause since the Republican-controlled Congress is unable to govern, to lead, or to address this or any issue anywhere affecting anyone.
24
Electronic signatures are common these days. Maybe our esteemed legislators, if they have heard of this and know how to use some sort of device, could be compelled to sign such a doc attesting that they and/or their staff have read and understand a bill before they are allowed to vote on said bill. Of course this would be a matter of public record.......
16
Please don't worry about Loretta Lynch. She knows how to deal with people like Senator McConnell, Burr (NC ) and Tillis (NC). She got into a school in Durham NC by taking the test over and over. Because she scored so low? No way. Ms Lynch scored so high they wouldn't believe that an African American woman would do this well on the test! Ms Lynch graduated valedictorian in her class. It upset the powers that be so they named two other students (with lower GPAs) to also be valedictorians so it wouldn't be "just an African American woman". She has a life time of dealing with guys like the Republicans in the Senate who are holding up her nomination and has always succeeded. Ms. Lynch will succeed again but the same may not be said for her home town Senators Burr and Tillis who voted against her.
83
Perhaps we could have a national plebiscite and decree that, right now, no sitting elected representative in Congress is eligible for re-election. Instant term limits, this means you.
It would be fascinating to see what could be accomplished in a Congress suddenly freed from the need to beg, pander and sell themselves.
It would be fascinating to see what could be accomplished in a Congress suddenly freed from the need to beg, pander and sell themselves.
14
The Senate is nothing if not dysfunctional, but at least there are enough Democrats to "filibuster" legislation that's too crazy or too sneaky, like the human trafficking bill with its hidden rider. And fortunately, legislation needs passage in both houses of Congress, and a President's signature, in order to become law. That makes Democrats rather than Republicans the "obstructionists" in the new Congress, but like they say, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. If the Republican House had its way, we'd have all kinds of crazy legislation being enacted!
13
Every single one of these sub par congressmen and women was elected!
The quality of our representation is steadily decreasing with the mass mental entropy at play in America!
The Federalists knew this would happen!
The quality of our representation is steadily decreasing with the mass mental entropy at play in America!
The Federalists knew this would happen!
18
Jon Stewart laid the blame on the Dems for this one. The Senate minority leader's name IS....Reid.
Barbara Boxer actually said "We trusted the Republicans to not change the bill!"--Then no one read it.
McConnell stated that he wanted to wait for the "new" 114th congress in January to OK Loretta Lynch's move to Attorney General..and the Dems believed him? These Republicans hate Obama so much that they would rather see Eric Holder continue on as Attorney General. Holder. A man they despise so much they kept asking Loretta Lynch if it was true she wasn't Eric Holder. (These black people all look alike to them...people to be hated for the color of their skin.)
Come on Democrats! Be leaders! READ THE BILLS! It comes as NO surprise to me that they would hide the Hyde amendment in an important bill on human trafficking. These low-life Republicans will always look for a way to keep "minorities" subservient. Maybe if more Dems had women chiefs of staff, these women would have seen this hidden poison pill.
As a woman we are TIRED of being second class citizens in America. The very idea that someone thought it would be just a GREAT idea to add an anti-abortion clause in a human trafficking bill flummoxes me! The GOP continues its dog whistles to its base..."Yes we want to keep black people and women in their place--just as you elected us to do!"
Barbara Boxer actually said "We trusted the Republicans to not change the bill!"--Then no one read it.
McConnell stated that he wanted to wait for the "new" 114th congress in January to OK Loretta Lynch's move to Attorney General..and the Dems believed him? These Republicans hate Obama so much that they would rather see Eric Holder continue on as Attorney General. Holder. A man they despise so much they kept asking Loretta Lynch if it was true she wasn't Eric Holder. (These black people all look alike to them...people to be hated for the color of their skin.)
Come on Democrats! Be leaders! READ THE BILLS! It comes as NO surprise to me that they would hide the Hyde amendment in an important bill on human trafficking. These low-life Republicans will always look for a way to keep "minorities" subservient. Maybe if more Dems had women chiefs of staff, these women would have seen this hidden poison pill.
As a woman we are TIRED of being second class citizens in America. The very idea that someone thought it would be just a GREAT idea to add an anti-abortion clause in a human trafficking bill flummoxes me! The GOP continues its dog whistles to its base..."Yes we want to keep black people and women in their place--just as you elected us to do!"
16
"When Giuliani is the most sensible voice in the room, there’s not much farther down to go. . . ." Gail, another beautifully punchy last sentence!
Although we should never misunderestimate the depths to which the current Republican Teapartiers may choose to explore.
Although we should never misunderestimate the depths to which the current Republican Teapartiers may choose to explore.
15
As the great Andy Borowitz of The New Yorker wrote, Congress's approval ratings have dropped to about 0.00001, or even 0.0000000001. The numbers are not really known since the most sophisticated computers cannot measure them any more.
10
America, and most specifically women of the GOP, why do you insist on helping to elect malicious, bigoted misogynists to 'represent' you in Congress? Do you really pay no mind to their self-serving behavior? It's ironic, during Women's History Month, that we revisit more backwards, galling behavior from your Republican Party. Ironic, but sadly, not surprising.
20
I am not convinced "it is a new Senate low". How could they go any lower than they have been for a long time?
8
And they are spending huge dollars on the dome. It should be left to crash in as a symbol of national decline and disfunction
7
So why has the bill not been amended to drop the prohibition? It does not have to explicitly state that all potential abortions for this class of abused women will have public funding. If the Republicans can not do that, how can they call themselves capable of governing?
10
A crowd of kids finding themselves in a state of boredom can resort to bugging one another. They just tap an available hot button to score a strong reaction: typically a very loud “He’s looking at me funny.” or “He touched me.” Their goal is escalation, adults yelling, more kids joining the melee, maybe media attention.
Our apathetic senate has lots of legislative hot buttons that can tie up work on any bill that helps our citizens. Think about it. These days senators enjoy seeing their “friends” on the other side go against any bill that many in America are for. All it takes is pressing the right hot button.
As it escalates, the majority side can say their “friends” on the other side are holding up a bill over an issue that has nothing to do with the subject of the bill. With so little real work to report on, the press will weigh in at some point.
Boy! Getting chased by the press all over the building is a lot more fun than actually reading and passing a bill on the quiet.
One hundred adults acting like kids, writing their own rules of play
Our apathetic senate has lots of legislative hot buttons that can tie up work on any bill that helps our citizens. Think about it. These days senators enjoy seeing their “friends” on the other side go against any bill that many in America are for. All it takes is pressing the right hot button.
As it escalates, the majority side can say their “friends” on the other side are holding up a bill over an issue that has nothing to do with the subject of the bill. With so little real work to report on, the press will weigh in at some point.
Boy! Getting chased by the press all over the building is a lot more fun than actually reading and passing a bill on the quiet.
One hundred adults acting like kids, writing their own rules of play
9
There is hope... "pheasant feathers" could become the new "dog on the car roof!"
10
"I'm your Congress, and I'm here to screw things up," I guess. But personal-like, I thought that Republicans voting down the legislation affirming the international treaty on disabled people's rights that we wrote, right in front of Bob Dole who got there ina wheelchair, was pretty much way worse.
28
It seemed like a surreal dream when I saw that Downtown Abby office on the news. In Seinfeld voice: Who are these people?
And how do they get elected and re-elected?
And how do they get elected and re-elected?
75
First of all, abortion is STILL legal in this country. Secondly, victims of sex trafficking are truly the most traumatized victims there are. The victims are usually poor, uneducated, severely psychologically traumatized, and perhaps pregnant. Why, in God’s name, would these allegedly Christian Republicans want to add to their misery by demanding that they now be subject to carrying an abuser’s baby and face the additional burden of trying to raise a child that would be a constant reminder of their abusers while they themselves try to recover from that abuse? What kind of parenting skills do you think they would have? Emotionally, they are still children themselves. So, in this scenario, they would be creating two victims for each rescued pregnant victim. Have these people lost their minds, their compassion, their intelligence, their obligation to govern in the best interests of the country and the citizens they represent?????
To add to the absurdity of this action, they add a hold up of a completely unrelated issue, that of the nomination of Loretta Lynch as Attorney General. Talk about a completely obstructive demonstration of the GOP's inability to perform their jobs appropriately. The larger question becomes when will they got over their petty childish behavior and start acting like adults and do the job they were hired to do – govern wisely – although I fear they have forgotten how to do that. How sad for all of us.
To add to the absurdity of this action, they add a hold up of a completely unrelated issue, that of the nomination of Loretta Lynch as Attorney General. Talk about a completely obstructive demonstration of the GOP's inability to perform their jobs appropriately. The larger question becomes when will they got over their petty childish behavior and start acting like adults and do the job they were hired to do – govern wisely – although I fear they have forgotten how to do that. How sad for all of us.
21
It is hard to understand how abortion-related matters, so carefully weighed in connection with the ACA, could be casually inserted into other legislation. The last i checked abortion issues were not innocuous matters.
5
"Democrats want women to think “they are helpless without Uncle Sugar coming in and providing for them a prescription each month for birth control because they cannot control their libido or their reproductive system without the help of government."
This is a quote from a Republican who is leading in some presidential polls.
Makes you wonder why these women keep impregnating themselves through artificial insemination. Wait, you mean there's a man actively involved? But men are much better at controlling their libidos.
If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament.
The religious right doesn't want tax dollars to pay for abortions. I don't want my tax dollars to pay for a military budget that increases every year, or for subsidies to agri-business, or...
This is a quote from a Republican who is leading in some presidential polls.
Makes you wonder why these women keep impregnating themselves through artificial insemination. Wait, you mean there's a man actively involved? But men are much better at controlling their libidos.
If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament.
The religious right doesn't want tax dollars to pay for abortions. I don't want my tax dollars to pay for a military budget that increases every year, or for subsidies to agri-business, or...
25
Imagine how good it would look for Mitch McConnell if he backed away from the inclusion of the reference to the Hyde amendment and let this bill pass without it.
He would instantly get tremendous credibility as a senate majority leader.
That credibility might help in other negotiations which could make the difference between failure and success.
He would instantly get tremendous credibility as a senate majority leader.
That credibility might help in other negotiations which could make the difference between failure and success.
5
Hard to say, the 'Senate's letter to Iran' designed to keep the sanctions on Iran or even go to war with Iran in order to prevent their 500,000 barrel of oil from coming to market and lowering the price of oil even further was pretty darned low on my scale!
12
Our representatives should be embarrassed by their lack of effort and mean spiritedness but they are clearly not. We need to replace those not working for the betterment of the country. Lots and lots of housecleaning to perform.
7
Thank you, Gail, for fighting the good fight and doing it with such great good humor. You are the best!
13
Any bill originating in the house or the senate should have a search done looking for the word 'abortion'. I know that is what I would do if a Democrat in congress. Because for some reason Republicans have to stress they will not allow a poor fetus to be removed by abortion no matter what the circumstances - they wait til its born, then starve it.
15
Why aren't changes to the various draft bills flagged by the word-processing software? That way any changes that are "slipped in" would be clearly identified. We do this checking all the time with documents passed between coworkers in the office. Why not in the US Senate?
10
The irony here is that even with a larger than ever majority Boehner cannot accomplish anything substantive (sorry, repealing the ACA yet again does not qualify) without Nancy Pelosi. She is his most reliable ally in the House. He knows where she stands on nearly everything and she can count votes in her caucus, which is more than can be said for Boehner's side of the aisle. Nancy is the real leader in the House, if not at present OF it.
As for the Senate, wow! Did Mitch really think he could obstruct every bill and nomination for years and not get push back when the roles reversed? He seems shocked that the Dems don't just do whatever he wants. As far as that goes, neither do the Republicans. Face it, neither Boehner nor McConnell are capable of leading their respective tribes. The Republicans have traded places with the Democrats are have become a herd of cats. We all know how difficult they are to herd.
As for the Senate, wow! Did Mitch really think he could obstruct every bill and nomination for years and not get push back when the roles reversed? He seems shocked that the Dems don't just do whatever he wants. As far as that goes, neither do the Republicans. Face it, neither Boehner nor McConnell are capable of leading their respective tribes. The Republicans have traded places with the Democrats are have become a herd of cats. We all know how difficult they are to herd.
6
Congressional bills should be no longer than tweets.
That way, everyone with a working knowledge of letters can read them.
That way, everyone with a working knowledge of letters can read them.
8
What is missing from this piece is the ease with which his fellow Republicans cut Schock loose without a fight. They fought much harder to defend those in their ranks who have committed much worse offenses, such as defending rape. Could it be the persistent rumors about Schock's sexuality that contributed to his banishment?
www.newyorkgritty.net
www.newyorkgritty.net
10
Who was the senator who acknowledged that aid knew about the anti-abortion inclusion but said nothing about it? As members of Congress have to rely on their aids to keep them informed (no member could read every bill before them and do their other tasks), unless this was a senator who wouldn't have cared if it was included, it would seem the aid risked his or her career by not doing so.
4
The Senate is the new House: Ideology trumps governing. I do not use the term, "trump," lightly ... now that the name-sake is playing his quadrennial "I want to pretend to run for President" game.
7
Haiku
Hope springs infernal,
Dante's Keystone cop congress---
Pheasantly corrupt.
Hope springs infernal,
Dante's Keystone cop congress---
Pheasantly corrupt.
9
A republican Congress seems quite able, so far, to deepen the ditch they are in, fill it with water, and then tie themselves to a stone...and jump in, hoping to be saved by democrats. The question some of us may have is: how is it possible to sneak in a bill, totally unrelated to the one favoring bipartisan agreement, without notifying, officially, all their members? The hope being, no one will read the report anyway, so why not insert 'pork' or worse. Democracy cannot go on if its institutions cannot be trusted. At the peril of you stopping reading this, Benjamin Franklin had some words worth quoting: "When you assemble a number of men, to have the advantage of their joint wisdom, you inevitably assemble with those men all their prejudices, their passions, their errors of opinion, their local interests and their selfish views. From such an assembly, can a perfect production be expected?"
8
Now there's a really scary sentence "Guiliani is the most sensible voice in the room' - we are so doomed.
10
". . . sponsored by Republican John Cornyn of Texas . . idea was to fine sexual predators and give the money to groups that help sex-trafficking victims . . .
it had acquired a clause forbidding the use of the money to provide victims with access to abortions . . ."
When fundamentalists rule a political party, you can expect more than a little disingenuous hocus pocus in all of their machinations.
it had acquired a clause forbidding the use of the money to provide victims with access to abortions . . ."
When fundamentalists rule a political party, you can expect more than a little disingenuous hocus pocus in all of their machinations.
15
You know you are living in the end times when Rudy Giuliani sounds like the most reasonable person in the room.
5
The expansion of the "Hyde amendment " to prohibit the use of fees collected by government to be used to fund an abortion--in this bill for victims of sex trafficking-- is a change that needs to be strongly opposed because of the precedent it sets. I hope those who believe the victims of sex trafficking need to be helped will also stand firm on the principle of what will actually help them. No woman--no female child of 11 or 12--needs to be forced by lack of funds to carry a pregnancy from rape or abuse to term.
124
The National Anthem should be replaced with Paul Simon's American Tune.
4
"Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who thought he was going to show how to make the Senate work, was irate, and said there would be no vote on Loretta Lynch, President Obama’s attorney general nominee, until Democrats gave in."
Sounds like the Republicans really love Eric Holder.
Sounds like the Republicans really love Eric Holder.
7
When you have our national legislative bodies acting like middle school students, we are deep trouble.
6
The fact that a Republican Senate will not be able to govern should come as no surprise, because the Senate just like the House is the "dog being wagged by its own tail" as well. What you do expect is that the Senate would not behave in such a juvenile manner as the House. First, the Republicans slip in a one liner, and then once they get caught they refuse to hold votes on the confirmation of nominees. Add that this to the letter to Iran and they look like a bunch of recalcitrant six year olds through tantrums. Grow up already!
11
I guess it is true that we get the government we deserve. We elected these people.
4
"...bipartisan cooperation the nation has been waiting for....". Speaking as a member of the nation,bipartisan cooperation is not what I am waiting for as long as republicans push such an inhumane,mean spirited, and ignorant agenda.
6
Congress no doubt has the highest cost per member-capita for tech support personnel and software in the world, and they don't know how to use "track changes" with MS Word?
6
If members of Congress didn't have to spend most of their time fund-raising, maybe they could muster a little time to actually read some of the laws they were voting on.
89
Will pheasant feathers replace dog on the roof in future columns? It appears so.
11
It's just another example of identity politics at work. The bill allows for abortion in the case of rape and it would be hard to interpret an unwanted pregnancy as other than the result of rape for victims of sex trafficking. The Republicans inserted the meaningless exclusion to satisfy their base. The Democrats winked. Then their base in the pro-abortion lobby said "hey!" and we again had stalemate.
6
First there is in my opinion no acceptable excuse for US senators not reading the entire language of any bill before casting a vote. Secondly there is no question in my mind the abortion provision was motivated by partisan politics. I believe intent of this bill is to help and compensate victims of human trafficking. If any of these victims were impregnated as a result of their captivation and given abortion is a legal right in the US, it seems to me this provision is mid-placed.
14
Just when you think the people that presume to be Republicans can't sink any lower along comes this yo-yo who reminds me of some of the representation in Oklahoma's State and National government. At the state level are the certifiably crazy who pass all kinds of weird bills every year at the behest of their Christian masters in the Southern Baptist Convention. The SBC also appears to have the ear of all the national people like Langford who says "yes mam I will be as crazy a red headed woodpecker as you want me to be." A man whose only claim to experience was running the state Baptist camp at the local small mountain resort in the Arbuckles. Where do they find them? On the moon,.
24
I'm curious about how many of the current Republican congressmen and senators have had prior experience in elected office. Many seem largely unready to govern because they're so unskillful at basic collaboration. As Collins pointed out, the human trafficking bill was uncontroversial until a mystery senator inserted irrelevant language that was bound to be contentious.
It's one thing to attach riders to a spending bill so that a certain district gets funding to pay for a park or road repair in exchange for a senator's vote. That's just part of the jobs of legislators; to bring funding back to their constituents in order to improve their quality of life. It's quite another thing altogether to jeopardize the passage of a bill intended to ameliorate human suffering in order to satisfy a wholly different agenda.
It's one thing to attach riders to a spending bill so that a certain district gets funding to pay for a park or road repair in exchange for a senator's vote. That's just part of the jobs of legislators; to bring funding back to their constituents in order to improve their quality of life. It's quite another thing altogether to jeopardize the passage of a bill intended to ameliorate human suffering in order to satisfy a wholly different agenda.
28
Somewhere, sometime someone is going to HAVE to acknowledge aloud and for all to hear that given our present system we are now demonstrably, irrevocably and forever an ungovernable nation. Bipartisan is hereby nominated as the oxymoron of the 21st century.
Over the decades we more and more closely circled the abyss, drawn into the black hole of dysfunction at an ever-accelerating rate. Well, somewhere around the year 2000 (let’s use the inception of the Bush 43 Regime as a good reverence point) we crossed the event horizon and officially became stardust.
And with our accelerating rate of dysfunction as we moved ever closer to the vortex, progressively smaller petty “snarky” little victories and snide commentary became the currency of politics to the point where the most structurally vital institutions to the country are reduced to the level of manufactured teenage tragedies and locker-stuffing pranks.
It is in deadly earnest here that I suggest these now thoroughly dysfunctional, indeed petty and puerile organizations of individual self-interest and aggrandizement, undertake not the governing of the country but the governMENT of the country. We’ve ruined this one, so let’s reconsider the entire process and return to Philadelphia. Go back to “zero” and restructure before Neil Young’s “After The Gold Rush” becomes the new national anthem.
Over the decades we more and more closely circled the abyss, drawn into the black hole of dysfunction at an ever-accelerating rate. Well, somewhere around the year 2000 (let’s use the inception of the Bush 43 Regime as a good reverence point) we crossed the event horizon and officially became stardust.
And with our accelerating rate of dysfunction as we moved ever closer to the vortex, progressively smaller petty “snarky” little victories and snide commentary became the currency of politics to the point where the most structurally vital institutions to the country are reduced to the level of manufactured teenage tragedies and locker-stuffing pranks.
It is in deadly earnest here that I suggest these now thoroughly dysfunctional, indeed petty and puerile organizations of individual self-interest and aggrandizement, undertake not the governing of the country but the governMENT of the country. We’ve ruined this one, so let’s reconsider the entire process and return to Philadelphia. Go back to “zero” and restructure before Neil Young’s “After The Gold Rush” becomes the new national anthem.
20
Our government has become such a joke that you no longer need to watch John Stewart or Bill Maher to get a few laughs. They cannot make the behavior of congress any funnier. Just watch cspan or the mainstream news, including fox news. I think we need to pass a title 9 bill for congress. Women must take control of this body. These old white men are insane.
12
Doesn't this sort of behavior seem childish to everyone outside the beltway? The halls of Congress are now a sandbox, where if you do this bad thing I don't like to me, I'll do this worse thing back to you, and we ratchet each other up into hissyfits that only a parent or babysitter can untangle with some time-outs. That would be us voters.
5
This is an amusing article about the dysfunctional Senate; however, the real "low" is not in the Senate, but rather in the House, where as noted by Ms. Collins, the Republicans have authored a cynical, punishing budget proposal. As the divide between left and right continues to widen, I wonder how much longer our democracy can hold together.
12
The U.S. Senate has hit a new low -- which seemed impossible to do. How can anyone affiliated with this clog sleep well? Is there no sense of justice and good to override political games? Please keep us posted Gail. There has got to be someone In the Senate with a bit of decency who is as disgusted as we readers and will work to fix this.
8
Not surprised at all by this. What you have with the GOP is a party that pretends it operates in unison, when the reality is that there is the rational members of the GOP, who are willing to compromise and get things done, but they are like the family gathering with the crazy aunts they try to ignore, the problem is the aunts end up ruining things time and again, but the family pretends like they don't matter. With the GOP, the crazy aunts are the tea party extremists and the religious nutjobs (often the same people, of course) that they pretend "don't matter", but then let them lead them around by their nose. The GOP really thinks that most americans are the same as their base, and it is why they are going to lead themselves over a cliff, because most americans, especially the young, want a party that actually does something, not caters to the 'crazy aunts'
8
What is missing from Ms. Collins piece is that Democrats stalled the bill over their opposition to the abortion language. I guess supporting abortion is more important to Democrats than opposing human trafficking.
4
Yes, the petty political ploys in the bills are cynical and disheartening; but the absolute Senate low was the 47 Republicans corresponding with Iran to diminish the efforts of President Obama and John Kerry. The bottom fell out when they left their own purview to hinder prospects for an accord.
14
Gee, folks, come on! That was no poison pill....that was an affirmation of their position on human trafficking!
See, if the trafficked women get pregnant and have their babies, then that will be more people living in poverty who will grow up into the servant class. It's the perpetuation of the Republican dream!
As for actually confirming Loretta Lynch....dream on. They will do whatever it takes to stop that one.
Anything the GOP can do to stop reasonable governance is embraced as a way to show how intractable the Democrats are....and so far, it's been working. We, the People elected a GOP Congress.
Eventually, when nothing happens and another interstate freeway bridge collapses in the river and another train derails in an urban area or there's a mid air collision because there isn't enough support for maintaining our infrastructure, maybe then the country will wake up and realize someone has to pay for this stuff....and it's We, the 98% of People....not the 2% who are controlling the CongressClown marionettes.
This bill is such a baloney bill with such great side-effects. We should frame it and put it in the National Archives with the Constitution as an example of how our government works!
http://wifelyperson.blogspot.com/
See, if the trafficked women get pregnant and have their babies, then that will be more people living in poverty who will grow up into the servant class. It's the perpetuation of the Republican dream!
As for actually confirming Loretta Lynch....dream on. They will do whatever it takes to stop that one.
Anything the GOP can do to stop reasonable governance is embraced as a way to show how intractable the Democrats are....and so far, it's been working. We, the People elected a GOP Congress.
Eventually, when nothing happens and another interstate freeway bridge collapses in the river and another train derails in an urban area or there's a mid air collision because there isn't enough support for maintaining our infrastructure, maybe then the country will wake up and realize someone has to pay for this stuff....and it's We, the 98% of People....not the 2% who are controlling the CongressClown marionettes.
This bill is such a baloney bill with such great side-effects. We should frame it and put it in the National Archives with the Constitution as an example of how our government works!
http://wifelyperson.blogspot.com/
18
I can't believe that members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have to read all 200+ pages of a bill to try to identify what changed since the last version. In any half-decent company the changes would be marked up, so reviewers can read just the changes. Of course, the easiest way to do that is by using word processing software, but since it's still only the 21st century we might have to wait a while for the Senate to catch up.
17
Despite the content and serious nature of this piece of legislation, is there anyone who is not a bit outraged that our elite representatives play all sorts of word games in legislation that none of them reads? And yet these laws affect us all.
Having said that, does not our Congress need to catch up to the software engineering community that deals with textual and documentation changes in volumes that rival the 'brevity' and 'clarity' of our legislation? There are version control systems that exist to allow tracking of what has changed and who has changed what and when. One system, appropriately named for our Congress, is called 'Subversion'*. There are many others. Even Microsoft Word contains 'Track Changes' to allow for updates. Using technology to keep the authorship and meaning of our laws straight is well past due. Unless, of course, this is the last thing our politicians want. No more excuses.
* http://svnbook.red-bean.com/en/1.7/
Having said that, does not our Congress need to catch up to the software engineering community that deals with textual and documentation changes in volumes that rival the 'brevity' and 'clarity' of our legislation? There are version control systems that exist to allow tracking of what has changed and who has changed what and when. One system, appropriately named for our Congress, is called 'Subversion'*. There are many others. Even Microsoft Word contains 'Track Changes' to allow for updates. Using technology to keep the authorship and meaning of our laws straight is well past due. Unless, of course, this is the last thing our politicians want. No more excuses.
* http://svnbook.red-bean.com/en/1.7/
11
Instead of wasting time squabbling over the stealthy anti-abortion sentence in the bipartisan human trafficking bill, perhaps the same Senate sponsors could introduce a human trafficking bill identical to the present bill except for absence of the anti-abortion sentence. Vote up or down on the second bill, and send the first bill to the basement bin where they put all of the impeach Obama bills sent over from the House.
Of course, even better, Republicans might agree to delete the anti-abortion sentence from the present bill in return for insertion of a provision mandating remedial reading courses for Senate Democrats.
Seems like “the world’s greatest deliberative body” ought to be able to handle this.
Of course, even better, Republicans might agree to delete the anti-abortion sentence from the present bill in return for insertion of a provision mandating remedial reading courses for Senate Democrats.
Seems like “the world’s greatest deliberative body” ought to be able to handle this.
7
I have a great idea. How about a moratorium for two years on any abortion bills? That prevents this issue from muddying up any more congressional business. It also keeps those busybodies' noses from entering any woman's uterus; a place where they have no business being.
21
Republicans had a phrase they used every time Democrats would hold up one of their nominees: "Fair up or down vote!" they would demand in unison and repeatedly.
That is where Democrats should start regarding Lynch's confirmation.
That is where Democrats should start regarding Lynch's confirmation.
7
Yep! We're up and running all right. Two dysfunctional house of Congress instead of one. The next two years are looking pretty sad. Maybe even the next six years.
Keep harping, Gail.
Keep harping, Gail.
3
Victims of human trafficking should get all the help they need without special funding. Help should not depend on the amount sexual predators pay in fines. I would vote against the bill if I could but I am not a politician afraid to vote against a bad funding idea for fear that Gail Collins or other panderers will tell the voters I support human trafficking and sexual predators.
Perhaps the only thing worse would be to secretly add abortion language to the bill to create a partisan divide in addition to those who might question if this is a stupid way of funding an important effort or question why existing funding is not adequate to the need.
If I am wrong, then maybe we also need a bill to fund the victims of race discrimination paid for by fines imposed on those who discriminate.
Perhaps the only thing worse would be to secretly add abortion language to the bill to create a partisan divide in addition to those who might question if this is a stupid way of funding an important effort or question why existing funding is not adequate to the need.
If I am wrong, then maybe we also need a bill to fund the victims of race discrimination paid for by fines imposed on those who discriminate.
Republicans in the House are clearly more sophisticated about covering their war on the poor women with bills they label The Save America Act.
Republicans in the Senate are way too transparent in their policies about women, those being trafficked, those being nominated to stop trafficking, or those just trying to get paid wages comparable to men for the same work
Republicans in the Senate are way too transparent in their policies about women, those being trafficked, those being nominated to stop trafficking, or those just trying to get paid wages comparable to men for the same work
5
Actually the anti-abortion language isn't really in the bill, rather it refers to previous statutes by number and I doubt that there were hot links to those statutes. So not only was this bill "junked up with abortion politics" but it was done in sneaky, underhanded manner. And exactly what is the link between the new AG and the human trafficking bill? Perhaps the great irony is that virtually every Republican has gone on record as despising Eric Holder yet they have managed to keep him around (and working) for four months and counting.
9
Don't see the problem with the Senate doing its job slowly and carefully -- passing
complicated bills without reading them or knowing what is in them can turn out poorly, as recent history shows.
complicated bills without reading them or knowing what is in them can turn out poorly, as recent history shows.
2
"[McConnell] said there would be no vote on Loretta Lynch, President Obama’s attorney general nominee, until Democrats gave in." Throw me in the briar patch Brer Fox! Do not give in on this Dems…then Senators of both parties can go away for a 12 month vacation instead of their usual stingy 10-monther. If they promise to do this, I'm sure the taxpayers will be more than happy to provide them with a 10 month supply of their special Senatorial bean soup "to go."
6
This bill was "apple pie" right? Everyone likes apple pie. Except when you put cr-p in it. Yuck. In the case of apple pie, you have to start over, but in the case of a bill, all you have to do is take out the cr-p. Easy as...er...pie.
3
Now they can't even pass a bill against human trafficking. With a bunch of clowns like this running the show, people should stop referring to this as any sort of great country.
9
Ms. Collins, I have enjoyed reading some of your columns. Respectfully, consider varying your style. Some satire and sarcasm can be witty and amusing. When it's every column, it's a bit wearying. At least to this reader; perhaps others feel differently.
2
Republicans are only interested in sabotaging our government or at least crippling it. They have been doing a magnificent job of that for the past 6 years.
17
Clearly, some Republican intentionally either tried to: (1) derail the Senate sex-trafficking bill by sneaking in one sentence about the government not funding abortion, which if noticed, would kill the bill for most Democrats; or (2) stop government funding of abortion in a sneaky, underhanded way by hoping Democrats would not really read the bill and never realize they had passed a sex-trafficking bill that defunds abortion until it was too late
Why would Republicans do #1?
a. They actually support sex trafficking, and might possibly defend themselves by saying it provides jobs (kinda like the XL Pipeline).
b. They are all about winning elections not governing, so they want to blame the Democrats for killing a sex-trafficking bill at election time (clever, huh?)
c. Now that the House is trying to function, it's the Senate Republicans' turn to act crazy & sabotage legislation to prove that government does not work, so we will vote Republican, and the Republicans will have a mandate for drowning the government in the bathtub (mission accomplished!).
Why would Republicans do #2?
a. Because they are Republicans, so they know the best way to get truly mean-spirited, nasty laws passed is to try to fool most of the people most of the time (like those test cheaters in school who spend more time cooking up dishonest schemes than doing real work the honest way)
b. There is no b
Dishonesty is the best policy. Vote Republican, and see how low we can really go!
Why would Republicans do #1?
a. They actually support sex trafficking, and might possibly defend themselves by saying it provides jobs (kinda like the XL Pipeline).
b. They are all about winning elections not governing, so they want to blame the Democrats for killing a sex-trafficking bill at election time (clever, huh?)
c. Now that the House is trying to function, it's the Senate Republicans' turn to act crazy & sabotage legislation to prove that government does not work, so we will vote Republican, and the Republicans will have a mandate for drowning the government in the bathtub (mission accomplished!).
Why would Republicans do #2?
a. Because they are Republicans, so they know the best way to get truly mean-spirited, nasty laws passed is to try to fool most of the people most of the time (like those test cheaters in school who spend more time cooking up dishonest schemes than doing real work the honest way)
b. There is no b
Dishonesty is the best policy. Vote Republican, and see how low we can really go!
9
Democrats on the Judiciary Committee approved the bill as it is now written. Democratic staffers knew of the abortion language. The language in the bill regarding abortion is commonly known as the Hyde Amendment, which has been routinely added to appropriation bills since 1976. The language allows for abortion spending in cases of rape or incest. A human trafficking victim who became pregnant due to being trafficked would clearly qualify for the rape exception for government spending on abortion. For political purposes, with no substantive or procedural basis, Democrats are holding up a bill to support human trafficking victims.
4
Our plutocratic overlords have things just the way they them. With an impotent government maintaining the status quo, they can continue hoovering up middle class money. With distractions such as abortion and gay marriage, no one will notice whose hand is in their pocket. How bad do things have to get before people start fighting back ?
14
American Progress will not continue until we enact legislation that attaches to each 2 year ballot a no-confidence voting box for each branch of government that forces an overhaul in either leadership, or a percentage of legislators either grouped or individual, based on the percentage vote of no-confidence. 60% gets you new leadership. 65% gets you new subcommittee leadership, 70% gets you 50% booted from office, 75% gets you 75% booted from office with a 4 year/2 cycle ban.
Congress has failed. All other news, topics, bills, etc. are moot when it all boils down to a government that refuses to function.
How do we, the people, maintain the ability to make these changes? Congress cannot police themselves. Conflict of interest. No member of congress would vote themselves out, or give that control willingly. We need to destroy the business of politics and recreate a government for the people.
Congress has failed. All other news, topics, bills, etc. are moot when it all boils down to a government that refuses to function.
How do we, the people, maintain the ability to make these changes? Congress cannot police themselves. Conflict of interest. No member of congress would vote themselves out, or give that control willingly. We need to destroy the business of politics and recreate a government for the people.
9
Poison pills are a Republican trademark so is lying and dealing in bad faith. This nation is sick of attempted legislation by extortion, manufactured crises and holding political hostages.
The GOP has never learned that cutting your nose to spite your face is the mark either mindless zealotry or a volatile combination of ignorance, stupidity and contempt for the national interest. The GOP hates Attorney General Holder and they want him gone but they refuse to let him leave office.
I wonder what would happen if, in a true act of patriotic self sacrifice, Mr. Holder should inform the president and the Senate that since his successor has not been approved by the Senate, if she is not approved in the very near future that he shall withdraw his resignation since the Senate refuses to let him leave and he will be preparing for an aggressive program aimed an corporate corruption for the next 2 years.
The GOP has never learned that cutting your nose to spite your face is the mark either mindless zealotry or a volatile combination of ignorance, stupidity and contempt for the national interest. The GOP hates Attorney General Holder and they want him gone but they refuse to let him leave office.
I wonder what would happen if, in a true act of patriotic self sacrifice, Mr. Holder should inform the president and the Senate that since his successor has not been approved by the Senate, if she is not approved in the very near future that he shall withdraw his resignation since the Senate refuses to let him leave and he will be preparing for an aggressive program aimed an corporate corruption for the next 2 years.
21
Congress has indeed become the "broken branch". As one of the three branches of government, they are failing the most. We the People should recognize this and do something about it. Companies and Corporations that have poor performing organizations take actions to address that. We should too.
I think it really is time to make some Constitutional changes to our Governance structure and procedures. I can think of a number of ideas -- 1) Change the membership of Congress to full reflect the American population including US Territories/D.C. and a much, much larger House membership to reflect population trends. 2) We have to get business out of politics. Public election funding and lobbying restrictions are long overdue. 3) Senate/House rules need a major overhaul and updating. All altruistic I know.
I think it really is time to make some Constitutional changes to our Governance structure and procedures. I can think of a number of ideas -- 1) Change the membership of Congress to full reflect the American population including US Territories/D.C. and a much, much larger House membership to reflect population trends. 2) We have to get business out of politics. Public election funding and lobbying restrictions are long overdue. 3) Senate/House rules need a major overhaul and updating. All altruistic I know.
9
It's not that any Senate committee or subcommittee suffers from a shortage of lawyers - so improbable that it's ludicrous - but that the entire Senate suffers from a shortage of intelligence, morality and compassion. As for the House of Representatives, the majority party's recent budget says it all. The Republicans there have no shame - nor aptitude for anything that doesn't serve the interests of American oligarchs. The wheels have simply come off the U.S. government's legislative bodies; hard to find humor in that.
16
Sorry, but I am tired of all this debate about process. The problem here is content and the fact that Republican Senators do not believe women who were sexually exploited/raped should be able to get abortions. This is their stand, and it is jaw dropping. Democrats should simply be stating that they will never vote for legislation that suggests that helping rape victims get abortions is immoral.
Understandably, it is hard to make light of such a reality, which is where the focus on process comes in. But in actuality, what all this talk about a lame congress does is fuel the notion that gov't representatives can't get anything done and therefore we should not rely on them for anything. Obama has spent virtually his entire presidency focusing on the process, as opposed to the stands that were actually being argued about, and where did it get him? A Republican controlled congress with people who want to drag us back to the 19th century.
Enough is enough is enough.
Understandably, it is hard to make light of such a reality, which is where the focus on process comes in. But in actuality, what all this talk about a lame congress does is fuel the notion that gov't representatives can't get anything done and therefore we should not rely on them for anything. Obama has spent virtually his entire presidency focusing on the process, as opposed to the stands that were actually being argued about, and where did it get him? A Republican controlled congress with people who want to drag us back to the 19th century.
Enough is enough is enough.
32
The concept of the Hyde Amendment should not be in play. The source of funds is from fines and penalties paid in by the perpetrators of these crimes. It does not come from tax payer general payments to the government.
10
Republicans are stumbling all over themselves like drunken clowns. They can't pass even their own bills, and they obstruct every form of reasonable legislation. The failure to vote on Loretta Lynch for AG is disgraceful, since they have no objections to her. They are not interested in governing--only trying to poke President Obama in the eye and posturing with impossible ideological statements disguised as real feasible legislation. However they are too inept to do even that. They end up poking themselves in the eye repeatedly, and their ideological posturing ends up looking absurd when it falls flat. How much sicker must we be at this idiotic party before the public tosses them out?
33
Republicans are having lots of fun taking potshots at Democratic Senators who didn't read the revised bill in full. Those of us who have never been legislators self-righteously imagine that we would closely study every page of every bill that ever came before us.
Except that we couldn't, because it would be impossible. The volume of legislation that is written, including sometimes dozens or even hundreds of revisions before a bill is passed, would come to millions of pages a year.
I work for a CEO who signs contracts that are hundreds of pages long. She does not read them, I assure you - she depends on me to do that. Woodward and Armstrong documented decades ago that Supreme Court justices rely on staff summaries of petitions for review. Well, legislators depend on their staffs too.
So according to the Republicans, the scandal is that senators rely on their staffs - as if Republican Senators don't.
But there's another element to this: the whole system relies on trust. When someone changes a few words and sentences scattered throughout a hundred-page bill, it is incumbent on that person to describe honestly the changes that have been made. Evidently that was not done here.
The scandal here is that Republicans added an anti-abortion provision they certainly knew Democrats would not agree to, and somehow omitted to mention it when they gave Democrats a list of their changes.
politicsbyeccehomo.wordpress.com
Except that we couldn't, because it would be impossible. The volume of legislation that is written, including sometimes dozens or even hundreds of revisions before a bill is passed, would come to millions of pages a year.
I work for a CEO who signs contracts that are hundreds of pages long. She does not read them, I assure you - she depends on me to do that. Woodward and Armstrong documented decades ago that Supreme Court justices rely on staff summaries of petitions for review. Well, legislators depend on their staffs too.
So according to the Republicans, the scandal is that senators rely on their staffs - as if Republican Senators don't.
But there's another element to this: the whole system relies on trust. When someone changes a few words and sentences scattered throughout a hundred-page bill, it is incumbent on that person to describe honestly the changes that have been made. Evidently that was not done here.
The scandal here is that Republicans added an anti-abortion provision they certainly knew Democrats would not agree to, and somehow omitted to mention it when they gave Democrats a list of their changes.
politicsbyeccehomo.wordpress.com
33
I say, let the Democrats take a vacation, and be willing to come back when the Republicans start acting like responsible adults and begin negoiating in good faith rather than just pandering to their base with thei continued destructive obstructionism, propaganda stunts and hostage taking. Meanwhile the electorate can see for themselves that even having won the majority in both houses, that the GOP still can't effectively lead or get anything done.
Only now they can't blame the Democrats or scapegoat Obama and their failure of ideas and failures of leadership will be all too apparent just in time for the next big election.
Only now they can't blame the Democrats or scapegoat Obama and their failure of ideas and failures of leadership will be all too apparent just in time for the next big election.
10
The GOP senators are going to insert little provisions in any bill they think will not scrutinized close enough to catch them.
They have an agenda to prevent any kind of abortion, any environmental restrictions that hurt their big corporate contributors, any tax that might cost some billionaire a few bucks among other government actions.
Somewhere along the way, they will find some sentence that takes away food stamps from the poorest, cuts SS, cuts unemployment insurance, and allows escaped mental inmates to carry concealed weapons. Whatever they can do to reverse the gains of the working class, such as medical insurance, OSHA, pensions, anything that might cost the super rich a new Bentley, they will find some legislative action, where they think they can sneak these things in.
We have seen just how duplicitous and mean spirited they are. We can only hope that those who put them in office will suffer the worst when their agenda comes to pass. We have to watch them like we do for pickpockets in Times Square, they are sneaks, and prevaricators. They have a record of being so, but have managed to obfuscate that so far. They can only get away with it for so long just like any con man, who eventually gets caught. Let us hope they get caught sooner than later.
They have an agenda to prevent any kind of abortion, any environmental restrictions that hurt their big corporate contributors, any tax that might cost some billionaire a few bucks among other government actions.
Somewhere along the way, they will find some sentence that takes away food stamps from the poorest, cuts SS, cuts unemployment insurance, and allows escaped mental inmates to carry concealed weapons. Whatever they can do to reverse the gains of the working class, such as medical insurance, OSHA, pensions, anything that might cost the super rich a new Bentley, they will find some legislative action, where they think they can sneak these things in.
We have seen just how duplicitous and mean spirited they are. We can only hope that those who put them in office will suffer the worst when their agenda comes to pass. We have to watch them like we do for pickpockets in Times Square, they are sneaks, and prevaricators. They have a record of being so, but have managed to obfuscate that so far. They can only get away with it for so long just like any con man, who eventually gets caught. Let us hope they get caught sooner than later.
35
This actually is easy to fix. Find out who put the language into the bill and publicize their name and connection to the Senate.
Apparently no one is presently willing to admit it. In that case declare it a typo error , since no Senator will take responsibility, and remove it from the bill.
Apparently no one is presently willing to admit it. In that case declare it a typo error , since no Senator will take responsibility, and remove it from the bill.
40
What a spectacle the republican party has become.
To a person they will all say they are not scientists, yet they all seem to think they are gynecologists. I thought doctors were scientists, with a basic understanding of biology and natural science, etc. What do I know.
I know that the best thing that can happen to the Nation over the course of the next two years is for the congress and senate to be so divided, especially among republicans, that they will get nothing done.
That will insure they do no harm (pardon the pun).
Gail, you really make my week. Thank you.
To a person they will all say they are not scientists, yet they all seem to think they are gynecologists. I thought doctors were scientists, with a basic understanding of biology and natural science, etc. What do I know.
I know that the best thing that can happen to the Nation over the course of the next two years is for the congress and senate to be so divided, especially among republicans, that they will get nothing done.
That will insure they do no harm (pardon the pun).
Gail, you really make my week. Thank you.
25
Considering all republicans run on the fact that government doesn't work and should be de-funded they end up winning every time government fails. They are captives to their own rhetoric that needs to validate them being useless.
This all comes back to gerrymandering! Until we fix that process to create truly competitive districts where people can be held accountable, and where people votes matter, we will never again have a functioning democracy.
This all comes back to gerrymandering! Until we fix that process to create truly competitive districts where people can be held accountable, and where people votes matter, we will never again have a functioning democracy.
41
Ian,
Been sayin' for years that Gerrymandering, together with the SCOTUS Citizens United decision will be the downfall of our Democracy. It all started with the SCOTUS decision to steal the election from Gore, allowing GW Bush to pack the Court with young, conservative Justices from who we will suffer for years. With cubic yards of right wing money available from the likes of the Koch brothers, et.al., ANY election can be bought (legally). Sadly, we are well on the road to becoming a banana republic oligarchy.
Been sayin' for years that Gerrymandering, together with the SCOTUS Citizens United decision will be the downfall of our Democracy. It all started with the SCOTUS decision to steal the election from Gore, allowing GW Bush to pack the Court with young, conservative Justices from who we will suffer for years. With cubic yards of right wing money available from the likes of the Koch brothers, et.al., ANY election can be bought (legally). Sadly, we are well on the road to becoming a banana republic oligarchy.
4
Are changes supposed to be listed in a table of changes on the front of the bill? It's standard for updates to contracts, code revisions (programming, that is) and scripts. I can't believe that the dems weren't relying on that.
Let's add fingers are typing to lips are moving she we sing of honesty.
Let's add fingers are typing to lips are moving she we sing of honesty.
4
I'd like to refer you to the most trusted name in news-reporting. According to the Daily Show for March 17, 2015, the Democrats WERE relying on that, which is how they got into trouble. Barbara Boxer said that the the abortion clause was left out of the list of changes to the bill. Harry Reid said that Republicans are now saying that trusting them was a mistake, though it does not report which Republican, if any, actually said that.
If this is true, then it shows that the Senate has taken a major step in the deterioration of integrity and respect. If one side is now relying on deceit about the actual content of bills, how can any Senator ever trust the opposing party?
If this is true, then it shows that the Senate has taken a major step in the deterioration of integrity and respect. If one side is now relying on deceit about the actual content of bills, how can any Senator ever trust the opposing party?
3
I realize that to a lot of people, voting seems like a futile exercise, especially in the wake of the Citizens United decision. Couple this with the ignorance of folks that rely on Fox for their news, and you have a recipe for disaster. Somehow, we've got to get people out in record numbers to vote on the next Presidential election . People need to be made to understand that voting for people whose main interest is catering to the 1%, destroying what little safety net is left, guns for all, subjucation of women,Christianity for everyone, etc are not voting in their best interests. If we continue on the path we're currently on, the US is set to become one big company store.
45
You have to wonder at the likelihood that a member of congress, perhaps aided by a literate aide, peruses the comments to articles such as this. That acute embarrassment does not ensue seems quite probable, so what can we say about this disconnect? That maybe, all joking aside, we've been saddled with so many ignorant and venal politicians that the country has no chance whatsoever of solving its problems or heading in any direction but down.
35
"That was a good point, except for the part where you wondered why he was so insistent that this allegedly meaningless language be preserved at all costs."
Well, he was lying. But who was he lying to? Democrats who'd be surprised by it having effect, or his own supporters who he'd lie to about claiming anti-abortion efforts he knew were ineffectual?
I'm more troubled by another lie -- that the Democrats didn't know. I don't believe that, not for one moment.
Well, he was lying. But who was he lying to? Democrats who'd be surprised by it having effect, or his own supporters who he'd lie to about claiming anti-abortion efforts he knew were ineffectual?
I'm more troubled by another lie -- that the Democrats didn't know. I don't believe that, not for one moment.
6
I don't know; the Dems have seemed one lawyer short of a picnic for several years now....
1
It's amazing that Republican Rep. Aaron Shock lasted six years in the House. He spent money (not his own earned monies) like it was going out of style. And decorating his office in the mode of Downton Abbey was ridiculous.
Meanwhile, the Republican Senators - in the Hall of Great Disgrace - hid abortion restriction ("the poison pill" as Chuck Schumer called it) in their human trafficking bill. Abortion politics is where the Senators were at in their bill and the Democrats filibustered and Mitch McConnell got mad and said no one would vote on Loretta Lynch, President Obama's AG nominee who has been twisting in the wind waiting for Senate approval. Kudos - rare ones - to Rudy Giuliani, who urged Republican Senators to get behind Loretta Lynch. But dare we call Rudy the Voice of Reason? Am eager to see when you will hang the 47 Republican Senators who signed Tom Cotton's ridiculous letter "to the Islamic Republic of Iran" by their own petards, Gail.
Meanwhile, the Republican Senators - in the Hall of Great Disgrace - hid abortion restriction ("the poison pill" as Chuck Schumer called it) in their human trafficking bill. Abortion politics is where the Senators were at in their bill and the Democrats filibustered and Mitch McConnell got mad and said no one would vote on Loretta Lynch, President Obama's AG nominee who has been twisting in the wind waiting for Senate approval. Kudos - rare ones - to Rudy Giuliani, who urged Republican Senators to get behind Loretta Lynch. But dare we call Rudy the Voice of Reason? Am eager to see when you will hang the 47 Republican Senators who signed Tom Cotton's ridiculous letter "to the Islamic Republic of Iran" by their own petards, Gail.
15
Its very hard to find anything good about today's United States Congress. Even the architectural-renovations currently being made tio the building, itself make one wonder what its gonna look like when completed (some of us believe the dome is being replaced by a steeple). Perhaps this week's most egregiously-disgusting event was withdrawal of Mr. McConnell's 'promise' to permit the Senate to vote on the confirmation of Ms. Lynch for the office of Attorney General, and the hardest part of that travesty was his refusal to admit that 'race' didn't have anything to do with his treachery.
In light of the obstinate refusal of either house of the congress to achieve ANYTHING, it is becoming increasingly urgent to float some kind of blanket 'Recall Referendum' applying to all the Republican in the both chambers, in hopes, at least, to serve as an inducement to stop behaving like spoiled adolescents, and ponder the real reason they are where.
In light of the obstinate refusal of either house of the congress to achieve ANYTHING, it is becoming increasingly urgent to float some kind of blanket 'Recall Referendum' applying to all the Republican in the both chambers, in hopes, at least, to serve as an inducement to stop behaving like spoiled adolescents, and ponder the real reason they are where.
9
There's plenty of blame to go around. Many, I'm sure, shared my disbelief when Mr Reid decided not to hold a vote on Loretta Lynch's appointment before the Publicans, for no remotely plausible reason. Of course, said Publicans and their loudly-announced disdain for AG Holder come across as hypocritical fools, or maybe better, as ill-behaved children who can't make up their minds as to what they really want.
In ejecting Aaron Schock from Washington like Kal-El from Krypton, Congress has lost the perfect master of ceremonies. Oh, I suppose that some of the older members saw Robert Graves' "I, Claudius" on smallish teevees in the 1980's but for most of our gee-whiz-golly Tribunes of the Incognoscenti, this must seem like the first time that a bunch of Nullifiers have found themselves making the rules.
Tonight on Masterpiece Theater Dowager Mitch McConnell rallies the extended family in support of a bill in which Cousin Rupert from East Bleeding has stuck a provision that irks anyone born after the year MDCCCXVII, when the patriarch, formerly a grifter from East Whatever, discovered yttrium under the family privy.
Why should anyone approve of these folks? They seem to fulfill T.S. Eliot's prescription that
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
My concern is not with those swells clogging the aisles as if they have any reason other than Netanyahu-like fear-baiting to explain their presence. No, amongst the Senators and Congressman who have their wits, where is the outrage? Why does Sen. Angus King not speak out? Why does Rep. Chellie Pingree not pen copious Op-Eds decrying the nonsense?
Meanwhile, Lindsay Graham has flung himself onto his fainting divan, and right-wing Christians who couldn't find Tehran on a map beat their tympani for war against their fellow reactionaries in the country that "controls it."
Quo democracy?
Tonight on Masterpiece Theater Dowager Mitch McConnell rallies the extended family in support of a bill in which Cousin Rupert from East Bleeding has stuck a provision that irks anyone born after the year MDCCCXVII, when the patriarch, formerly a grifter from East Whatever, discovered yttrium under the family privy.
Why should anyone approve of these folks? They seem to fulfill T.S. Eliot's prescription that
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
My concern is not with those swells clogging the aisles as if they have any reason other than Netanyahu-like fear-baiting to explain their presence. No, amongst the Senators and Congressman who have their wits, where is the outrage? Why does Sen. Angus King not speak out? Why does Rep. Chellie Pingree not pen copious Op-Eds decrying the nonsense?
Meanwhile, Lindsay Graham has flung himself onto his fainting divan, and right-wing Christians who couldn't find Tehran on a map beat their tympani for war against their fellow reactionaries in the country that "controls it."
Quo democracy?
27
I think you mean Yeats:
THE SECOND COMING
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: a waste of desert sand;
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Wind shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
THE SECOND COMING
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: a waste of desert sand;
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Wind shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
1
Not bad, but it's Yeats, not Eliot.
Y'know, when you think about it, maybe McTurtle, I mean McConnell, builded better than he knew when he announced with obvious relish that now that the Publicans were in "control" of the Senate, we would see how the body gets the people's business done.
Viz., not at all.
Hardly a surprise: the Senate for some reason has over the years created a set of rules which easily degenerate into total gridlock, since to "work" they presuppose intelligence and good will on the part of all 100 men and women who have gotten where they are by talking votes out of 100 million citizens with few qualifications except being able to breathe, which, as we've seen, is not really a workable proposition.
Y'know, when you think about it, maybe McTurtle, I mean McConnell, builded better than he knew when he announced with obvious relish that now that the Publicans were in "control" of the Senate, we would see how the body gets the people's business done.
Viz., not at all.
Hardly a surprise: the Senate for some reason has over the years created a set of rules which easily degenerate into total gridlock, since to "work" they presuppose intelligence and good will on the part of all 100 men and women who have gotten where they are by talking votes out of 100 million citizens with few qualifications except being able to breathe, which, as we've seen, is not really a workable proposition.
1
Brilliant!
1
What wonderful sarcasm. This is what Political Journalism should be today! Now the Nitty Gritty. Abortion has nothing really to do with Human Trafficking unless the woman in the traffic gets pregnant. And any bill has nothing to do with a Senate approval for a cabinet nominee. Therefore logic tells me that the Senate is not very capable and Mitch McConnell is a very poor leader.
19
'That was a good point, except for the part where you wondered why he was so insistent that this allegedly meaningless language be preserved at all costs.'
This should be the takeaway for *everyone* reading this column who ever signs a contract. Law is nothing but words, carefully chosen, meaningfully combined, and precisely construed. There is a reason there are so many cross-outs and edits in the Declaration. Every word, every phrase, matters. So whenever someone insists something doesn't matter, yet won't let you strike it out, go to yellow alert: It matters. The question then becomes, why does it matter?
The answer in this case may be simply that Cornyn wants to be able to present this to his 'base' in campaign literature as a triumph - succeeded in advancing the pro-life cause by drafting language blah blah etc etc. But, as we have seen, a few seemingly minor words in a law can turn around and bite you in court. Legislate in haste, repent at leisure.
This should be the takeaway for *everyone* reading this column who ever signs a contract. Law is nothing but words, carefully chosen, meaningfully combined, and precisely construed. There is a reason there are so many cross-outs and edits in the Declaration. Every word, every phrase, matters. So whenever someone insists something doesn't matter, yet won't let you strike it out, go to yellow alert: It matters. The question then becomes, why does it matter?
The answer in this case may be simply that Cornyn wants to be able to present this to his 'base' in campaign literature as a triumph - succeeded in advancing the pro-life cause by drafting language blah blah etc etc. But, as we have seen, a few seemingly minor words in a law can turn around and bite you in court. Legislate in haste, repent at leisure.
15
Just so's ya know, the Declaration went pretty much as drafted--except for where Jefferson hadda take out all the slavery stuff, because the South insisted.
I think Cornyn is a deliberate saboteur of legislation.
2
I haven't seen a pheasant around here in twenty years. What was once a plentiful bird, has become extinct, at least in my experience. Over the same period we have seen the Canada Goose and White tail deer population increase to worrisome levels. This article could do some good if the senate was moved to take up legislation to bring back pheasants to their former status. "Pheasant pheathers for all" regardless of race, color or creed. Seems like a no-brainer to me if they can just keep the abortion language out of it. The senate should do it if only to prove that they can be moved to action when the chirps are down.
15
Anarchism wrapped in militarism and religion has historically been a powerful method of interrupting the rule of law. The Congress itself now appears to have been successfully interrupted.
11
Not holding my breath that Cornyn and his anti-abortion buddies will suddenly start adopting children born to women who do not want them. From the party of "personal responsibility," there is a serious disconnect between allowing a woman to choose her life's course and a decision being made for her by individuals who do not know her and who shout about adoption but are not adopters. Hypocrite be thy name.
41
Where does Cornyn think unwanted children will wind up? They are fodder for human traffickers.
114
What you say is especially true given that the unwanted pregnancies for this group of women involve the victims of human trafficking. Refusing to give this group access to abortion if they desire it is unfathomable.
6
Gail, I would like to read all your columns----but not by joining you on Facebook! I read your column for your views, positive and negative...Along with Maureen, the Opinion page is complete....
1
The bottom line is that the GOP did indeed poison-pill their own bill. If we were to expel all senators who failed to read, cover-to-cover, every bill commanding their vote, then there would be no senators left from either party.
Hey, wait a minute! We might just have a viable new plan for effective leadership emerging. You read it first here.
Hey, wait a minute! We might just have a viable new plan for effective leadership emerging. You read it first here.
22
It is clear that politicians are tools of big money and do not work for us. The are completely incompetent, void of any common sense and have no capacity for empathy. They are the dumbest people on earth denying reality when ever the dollar tells them to. More simply put, they are crooks and thieves.
18
Would someone please inform the Congress that it is the 21st century now, and we have the technology to compare two documents and automatically highlight the differences? Also, most Congress members presumably have staff members who are literate who could be tasked with reading legislation and writing a summary. Or giving a verbal summary, if their Congressperson can't read the summary.
18
"It was easy to miss, the Democrats contended, being very oblique and supertiny. “Out of a 112-page bill, there is this one sentence,” complained Democrat Dick Durbin."
So the ability to read is not a requirement for being a Senator.
So the ability to read is not a requirement for being a Senator.
2
Quite true. They have servants, I mean aides, for that.
Remember how the ACA was passed...none read it.
So, Heidi, Gail, etc. want American taxpayers to pay for abortions? Why?
Because these people are the victims of crimes. Why should they be penalized for pregnancies that were essentially forced on them.
Also we pay close to One Trillion dollars per year to support the military and its ancillary wings. This money is dedicated to killing people. Do you object to that expenditure as well??
Also we pay close to One Trillion dollars per year to support the military and its ancillary wings. This money is dedicated to killing people. Do you object to that expenditure as well??
57
Rape. Because of rape, that's why. Human trafficking victims are raped and usually forced into prostitution. Fines collected from traffickers should be used to provide medical care for the victims, including abortions.
4
No taxpayer money is involved. The money is from fines levied on sex trafficking and pornography. Why would you try to protect the dirty money of people like that?
3
Gail's first line says it all. The country is stalled with Republicans trying to undo institutions in place for generations. So they campaign for office to undo the good that's been done....unfreaking believable! Do these members of congress not have elderly family members?
40
Interesting they all hate government but most have spent their entire adult (yes they are called adults) working for the government. All their money, health care, retirement is government created. Its like the rich kid who hates his dad for making him dependent on his money. In Hate you government ! but I do so much want to be reelected to be a member of government.
1
Members of Congress are either so wealthy that their elderly family members don't rely on social safety nets, or they are so heartless that they don't care what happens to their elderly family members.
2
The message from the swift resignation of House member Aaron Schock is fairly plain: if you want to try to become a rock star or a movie star, go into rock n'roll or the movies, not Congress. By exiting so quickly stage right, Schock cuts short any internal investigations of his spending habits. Also, the other message is that public funds are not the same as your own piggybank. Use care, provide accountability.
The story of this guy's life seems to be one of continuous seeking of prominence and advantage from about age 12 onward, according to an article published in the Washington Post. By high school, he had already decided that those pesky rules were for others. He wanted to graduate in three years, the school system said no, so he became the youngest school board member, then president of the board. He rushed through college in two years. Now, he's the youngest member of Congress ever to resign, age 33.
Something has happened to Congress. It once was a place of rather sleepy, glacial movement of legislation from conception to law where people comfortably served for many years, perhaps life. Now, people increasingly see it as a springboard to something else, something better, more financially rewarding, with more celebrity creating potential. It is being transformed by a culture that sees every moment as a chance to get something else, more promotion, more visibility, more cash. The bad old days are starting to look pretty good.
http://terryreport.com
The story of this guy's life seems to be one of continuous seeking of prominence and advantage from about age 12 onward, according to an article published in the Washington Post. By high school, he had already decided that those pesky rules were for others. He wanted to graduate in three years, the school system said no, so he became the youngest school board member, then president of the board. He rushed through college in two years. Now, he's the youngest member of Congress ever to resign, age 33.
Something has happened to Congress. It once was a place of rather sleepy, glacial movement of legislation from conception to law where people comfortably served for many years, perhaps life. Now, people increasingly see it as a springboard to something else, something better, more financially rewarding, with more celebrity creating potential. It is being transformed by a culture that sees every moment as a chance to get something else, more promotion, more visibility, more cash. The bad old days are starting to look pretty good.
http://terryreport.com
10
Wouldn't congress be a better place if a few more people took a leap from that springboard? Maybe a LOT more people?
To me, nothing compares to 47 Senators telling the world not to trust us, and the House supporting a budget ending Medicare. Those are lows difficult to surpass.
How do they do it? Did they get elected because we are so blind and ignorant? Is money and propaganda that powerful? We tried to elect decent and smart people, like Kerry and Gore, and we lost against W and Cheney! We elected them twice! Really. our choices during elections, those are the real record lows.
How do they do it? Did they get elected because we are so blind and ignorant? Is money and propaganda that powerful? We tried to elect decent and smart people, like Kerry and Gore, and we lost against W and Cheney! We elected them twice! Really. our choices during elections, those are the real record lows.
27
While I think that the abortion clause is a mistake, I wonder why the Democrats don't just go ahead and pass the bill if as stated the provision has little real effect.
2
Most of the GOP Reps and Senators were elected in part on their promises to slow, limit, shrink, or destroy the government of the United States. They are doing what they said they would do. Why is anyone shocked, surprised, or confused. You, America, elected these people, all bought and paid for by various corporate interests, and now it's too late for buyer's remorse.
14
You would think, after all of this time, that the Democrats would routinely make sure the bills were read by their staff lawyers. Does no one read anything anymore in Congress? Trust them? Trust them? Arrgghhhh!!!! Harry Reid acting all huffy puffy. No one knowing how that language got in....
All of them need to be fired and we start over from the ground up.
All of them need to be fired and we start over from the ground up.
4
I don't know why anyone should be surprised that Congress is dysfunctional. After all, the members of Congress don't represent "we the people". They represent one percent of the country; the deep pocketed, self-serving, ultra-conservative "job creators" with enough money to organize "grass roots" campaigns, like the Koch Brothers political subsidiary known as the Tea Party.
15
Dear Ms. Collins,
I am surprised the GOP/TP/KOCH AFFILIATE didn't attach another sentence defining "when human life begins" into the trafficking bill. Or maybe they did, hmmm.
Perhaps there's a sentence reading thusly in the bill "noitpecnoc ta snigeb efil namuh" which, when any staffer read it (Too much fund raising to do so no legislator actually READS these things), would cause the staffer to wonder and then, not wishing to express their "ignorance", just let it ride (Staffers are very concerned about how they are viewed. Asking a Senator or a Congressman to explain it would be belittling).
The insertion of the phrase could be pawned off as an attempt to equalize laws and bills by providing the dyslexics in the two Houses to have something to read if they ever getting around to reading as opposed to one side excoriating Mr. Obama and the other side, well, someday you can explain what the Democrats really do in the 2 Houses (Though now they have REAL power; they're in the minority! This is how democracy works/doesn't work/what a joke by stopping everything. Maynard G. Krebs is SO proud of these folks!).
I guess most people who vote (Now there's an oxymoron for you! Since 36% voted in the last election, it certainly isn't the MOST). Let me phrase this differently; since few people vote, I suggest voting for the opposite of who you really like, then the people not in charge can become in charge, apparently. Hey, it's worked/not worked for close to 5 years now.
Simple, no?
I am surprised the GOP/TP/KOCH AFFILIATE didn't attach another sentence defining "when human life begins" into the trafficking bill. Or maybe they did, hmmm.
Perhaps there's a sentence reading thusly in the bill "noitpecnoc ta snigeb efil namuh" which, when any staffer read it (Too much fund raising to do so no legislator actually READS these things), would cause the staffer to wonder and then, not wishing to express their "ignorance", just let it ride (Staffers are very concerned about how they are viewed. Asking a Senator or a Congressman to explain it would be belittling).
The insertion of the phrase could be pawned off as an attempt to equalize laws and bills by providing the dyslexics in the two Houses to have something to read if they ever getting around to reading as opposed to one side excoriating Mr. Obama and the other side, well, someday you can explain what the Democrats really do in the 2 Houses (Though now they have REAL power; they're in the minority! This is how democracy works/doesn't work/what a joke by stopping everything. Maynard G. Krebs is SO proud of these folks!).
I guess most people who vote (Now there's an oxymoron for you! Since 36% voted in the last election, it certainly isn't the MOST). Let me phrase this differently; since few people vote, I suggest voting for the opposite of who you really like, then the people not in charge can become in charge, apparently. Hey, it's worked/not worked for close to 5 years now.
Simple, no?
6
The truly depressing part is that Congress, and especially the Senate, with its raft of Presidential aspirants, will only get more dysfunctional the further we get into the Presidential election cycle.
6
Let me see now..........should I focus on corporate regulation..........or should my priority be "social regulation"....? Oh, wait a minute........I'll just follow the money and go with the "small government" option. That stupid "we, the people" nonsense has got to go!
9
If it weren't for the fact that these proceedings did not occur within the hallow walls of the Senate it would make a great Vaudeville skit
4
The United States Congress if a Circus of Horrors run by a bunch of evil clowns.
15
Let the Northern and Western states secede from the Union. Then the "United States" will become the next rogue country, along the lines of North Korea.
5
The thing that I find surprising is not that the Republicans and Democrats seem incapable of compromise, its that any one should care what Rudi Giuliani says, thinks, or advises.
9
Slipping language into bills is old hat. It caused John Kerry to stumble when he said "I was for it before I was against it." The peanut gallery cackled but had as much notion of what he meant as a nest of fleas knows about reconciliation of bills.
4
It would seem to be a necessity to offer girls who have been stolen and sold as sex slaves or prostitutes access to abortion. It would also seem obvious but not to the GOP clowns who now run Congress.
28
Our enemies love to see our Congress tear our Commander-in-Chief apart. And our European allies are quickly lining up behind communist China because they know that we cannot be negotiated with or counted on.
14
I am not sure why, strategically, the Obama administration really cares about the AG change. Convince Holder to stick around, perhaps adding to his job portfolio other tasks that would appeal to him, help the administration and annoy Republicans. Too bad for Loretta Lynch but she will have her chances in the future and with her new national profile could quit government service for a super high paying private practice or enter NY politics herself....or North Carolina politics where she could be a huge hit next cycle against the two Republican senators.
6
Loretta Lynch has devoted her life to justice and prosecuting and she deserves the position because she is the best person in the country to be Attorney General. Armchair politics reduces her contribution and devalues her lifes work as nothing more than entertainment.
10
Good morning, America. This is your government at work!
13
I commend Sen. John Cornyn for introducing the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act to the Senate. This federal legislation increases penalties for those convicted of slavery, human smuggling and sexual exploitation of children and would provide for additional compensation for their victims. Gov. Sam Brownback of Kansas signed a similar law back in 2013. Hillary Clinton had been advocating for a similar law since 2005.
The critics of the language regarding restricting the funding for sex trafficked women to disallow abortions is egregious and Democrats have no excuse for not noticing the wording on page 4-5 of the bill. The pro choice movement argues that sex trafficked victims should be offered the widest choice of options (including abortion) available in order to avoid shaming or revictimizing them again due to restrictive federal legislation. Fortunately, this vulnerable population of exploited people is being taken seriously by the most powerful people of the country.
How unfortunate then, that real progress to help stop the scourge of exploitation is being roadblocked by a the hot button issue of abortion. One way around this issue is to apply the Hyde Amendment to the bill which would allow for exceptions in funding for those who have been victims of rape. Instead of exploiting the bill for political purposes, Democrats should signed on to the bill as flawed as it is as Obama is most likely to genuflect and sign it into law in a show of political pragmatism.
The critics of the language regarding restricting the funding for sex trafficked women to disallow abortions is egregious and Democrats have no excuse for not noticing the wording on page 4-5 of the bill. The pro choice movement argues that sex trafficked victims should be offered the widest choice of options (including abortion) available in order to avoid shaming or revictimizing them again due to restrictive federal legislation. Fortunately, this vulnerable population of exploited people is being taken seriously by the most powerful people of the country.
How unfortunate then, that real progress to help stop the scourge of exploitation is being roadblocked by a the hot button issue of abortion. One way around this issue is to apply the Hyde Amendment to the bill which would allow for exceptions in funding for those who have been victims of rape. Instead of exploiting the bill for political purposes, Democrats should signed on to the bill as flawed as it is as Obama is most likely to genuflect and sign it into law in a show of political pragmatism.
23
It appears infantilism has fully embedded itself in the entire Republican side of Congress (OK, maybe a couple exceptions). From Boehner's "kiss, kiss" and "candy and nuts" responses to serious questions about serious issues to the foot-stomping by McConnell and his ilk, I'm becoming more and more disenchanted (dismayed? dyspeptic?) with our legislating body. Yes, I'm aware that in our history the legislative chamber hasn't been all "candy and nuts" (but often 'nuts') but I would have hoped for improvement over the generations. Guess not.
I'm incredulous Ms. Lynch has been highly praised by just about all, from the judiciary committee to the entire Senate but her acceptance because of a totally unrelated bill is being delayed by recalcitrant miscreants throwing yet another hissy fit over what appears to be a superfluous, well hidden, one-sentence provision. Superfluous? She mentions many 'exceptions', although doesn't mention the Hyde Act and whether that would apply.
As for my perspective? If a woman cares to end her pregnancy, that's her decision and her's alone. If she wants to bring others into her decision-making process (which I suspect many, if not most do, e.g. father, doctor, clergy) that, too, is her decision. Her terminating her pregnancy does not require others to do so and should be none of others' concern or business.
I could go on, but I'll end my 'rant' now.
Best to all and all the best
Keep the faith - in a secular sense, of course.
I'm incredulous Ms. Lynch has been highly praised by just about all, from the judiciary committee to the entire Senate but her acceptance because of a totally unrelated bill is being delayed by recalcitrant miscreants throwing yet another hissy fit over what appears to be a superfluous, well hidden, one-sentence provision. Superfluous? She mentions many 'exceptions', although doesn't mention the Hyde Act and whether that would apply.
As for my perspective? If a woman cares to end her pregnancy, that's her decision and her's alone. If she wants to bring others into her decision-making process (which I suspect many, if not most do, e.g. father, doctor, clergy) that, too, is her decision. Her terminating her pregnancy does not require others to do so and should be none of others' concern or business.
I could go on, but I'll end my 'rant' now.
Best to all and all the best
Keep the faith - in a secular sense, of course.
11
Dysfunction is infectious. The House has sneezed upon the Senate.
7
Expect more lows. Congress, not just the Senate, has been destroyed as a democratic, functioning institution. Thanks to the Citizens United travesty, it's just one more extention of plutocracy and oligarchy- an ongoing circus/clown show that is incapable of governing anything, including itself.
10
One would think that there would be an electronic review of all bills in the Senate that would search for basic hot button key words and phrases such as abortion, gun, tax rate, immigration, etc. before the bill makes it out of committee?
So may this be another case of Congressional technophobia??
So may this be another case of Congressional technophobia??
4
Guess Jesus' shoe size and calculate the speed he walked on water. Then take into concideration how low the temperature dropped.
1
The real mystery for me has always been the need for the extreme procedural complexity of legislation in the US.
It's one thing for a room full of people (assuming that a reasonable number have shown up) to disagree, but another altogether for freshman representatives to get shut out of the legislative process because they lack access to one of the all powerful committees, or for someone like Inhofe to enjoy outsized influence by virtue of placement within what is supposed to be a representative body. The same goes with the riders. Why in the world does a bill condemning human trafficking need to be 112 pages long in the first place? What purpose is served?
The complexity is such that I doubt even those on the inside could really know what's going on. One may simply assume that there is order and method within the chaos, but that's of course exactly was being said about the financial industry around 2007, and we all know how well that worked out.
It's one thing for a room full of people (assuming that a reasonable number have shown up) to disagree, but another altogether for freshman representatives to get shut out of the legislative process because they lack access to one of the all powerful committees, or for someone like Inhofe to enjoy outsized influence by virtue of placement within what is supposed to be a representative body. The same goes with the riders. Why in the world does a bill condemning human trafficking need to be 112 pages long in the first place? What purpose is served?
The complexity is such that I doubt even those on the inside could really know what's going on. One may simply assume that there is order and method within the chaos, but that's of course exactly was being said about the financial industry around 2007, and we all know how well that worked out.
3
Human trafficking victims endure a squalid, terrorizing existence that includes beatings, torture, isolation and, yes, sexual assault and rape. They are kept in bondage until their bodies and minds make them "damaged goods" to their oppressors and sex clients.
After all this, to then restrict their right to an abortion (if one is needed), seems to be an especially cruel post-trauma outcome. If John Cornyn asserts that the anti-abortion language inserted in the bill is "meaningless" since there are other provisions that would allow access to abortion, then you have to wonder why he and his GOP brethren insist on including the language in the trafficking bill. If the rationale is that no federal funds can be used for abortions, then we have an outcome that truly no sensible person would prefer: a traffickng victim whose nightmare will continue due to a government restriction on how funds can be expended.
Who in their right mind thinks this represents effective bipartisanship?
After all this, to then restrict their right to an abortion (if one is needed), seems to be an especially cruel post-trauma outcome. If John Cornyn asserts that the anti-abortion language inserted in the bill is "meaningless" since there are other provisions that would allow access to abortion, then you have to wonder why he and his GOP brethren insist on including the language in the trafficking bill. If the rationale is that no federal funds can be used for abortions, then we have an outcome that truly no sensible person would prefer: a traffickng victim whose nightmare will continue due to a government restriction on how funds can be expended.
Who in their right mind thinks this represents effective bipartisanship?
20
God love yuh, Ms. Collins. I think you ought to be writing the bills.
5
As a Democrat almost always on their side, I can't understand why, since the Hyde ammendment is already in place, this clause makes things worse. Pass it already, and call the bluff of the Republican mischief maker who inserted it in the bill.
1
To add another line to Peter, Paul, and Mary's nostalgic anti-war song, Where have all the flowers gone?
Where have all the statesmen gone,
Long time passing,
Where have all the statesmen gone.
Long time ago.
Where have all the statesmen gone,
Big biz bought them every one.
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the statesmen gone,
Long time passing,
Where have all the statesmen gone.
Long time ago.
Where have all the statesmen gone,
Big biz bought them every one.
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
11
Have they changed the name of the Washington Redskins yet? I think they got to handle that before human trafficking.
1
What do you expect from Republicans?
Republicans carp, complain and blame everyone but themselves.
This is, after all, the party that when it gets power, devastates the economy. This is, after all, the party when it gets power, starts a war by attacking the wrong nation.
This is, after all, a party that regularly mounts a jihad against everything and anything humane and decent.
What do you expect from Republicans? Common sense? Thoughtfulness. Accomplishment? Perish those thoughts!
Have you been listening to what emanates from the Republican party the past six years? It sounds like a Klan revival!
Let it and its rabid haters --- elected by other rabid haters --- sink into the abyss where it belongs.
Republicans carp, complain and blame everyone but themselves.
This is, after all, the party that when it gets power, devastates the economy. This is, after all, the party when it gets power, starts a war by attacking the wrong nation.
This is, after all, a party that regularly mounts a jihad against everything and anything humane and decent.
What do you expect from Republicans? Common sense? Thoughtfulness. Accomplishment? Perish those thoughts!
Have you been listening to what emanates from the Republican party the past six years? It sounds like a Klan revival!
Let it and its rabid haters --- elected by other rabid haters --- sink into the abyss where it belongs.
22
This clause, inserted where it does not belong, was probably added by some rightwing staffer at the behest of a rightwing senator. There should be no way something like this should happen without the origination being made public so that we all know who the selfish, self-centered bigot is.
We citizens do have a right to know who really writes our laws and what these bills of thousands of pages really say and how they effect us. If the senator responsible for this "poison pill" had any testosterone at all he/she would come forward and admit it.
We citizens do have a right to know who really writes our laws and what these bills of thousands of pages really say and how they effect us. If the senator responsible for this "poison pill" had any testosterone at all he/she would come forward and admit it.
14
I'm fine with Eric Holder being AG until the end of Obama's presidency. Great talking point for Hillary as to Republican treatment of an eminently qualified black woman.
Then Loretta can be Hillary's AG for 8 years.
Thank you Mitch!
Then Loretta can be Hillary's AG for 8 years.
Thank you Mitch!
17
Since you are from Mississippi you know of what you wrote personally. Three years ago I moved to NC where a neighbor hangs out her stars and bars flag blanket to dry. The former confederate states are poor states who need all the government help they can get. These states get more in benefits than they pay out in taxes unlike the northeast. Yet they consistently vote republican are anti labor and anti federal government. Before the civil rights movement they were 'dixiecrats'. So they help to stick it to America by electing people with no interest in help them. No congress wants to help the fetuses of the country because it doesn't cost any money and plays well in the bible belt. To heck with the sexually exploited. So an important bill bites the dust. And let's bite the hand that feeds us. Politics down here certainly make for strange bedfellows. Hey y'all lost the Civil War, get over it and think more carefully about the people you elect to office. That goes to the country as a whole. Congress is an non-functioning mess. Let's not forget the democrats, who aren't exactly the second coming. My country and this world are enough to make this grown woman cry.
1
We can't expect rational decision making from irrational people. Republican politicians, who primarily represent the Confederacy and their midwest sister states, can always be relied upon to provide us with policies drawn from the dark side of human nature.
There is usually no surprise anymore at their antics, since their behavior, in most regards, typically mimics that of a delinquent. But, again, they are only representing and playing to their constituents; always a scary thought.
The republicans latest escapade includes a failure to pass a simple piece of legislation, because they refuse to provide a straight up/down vote on human trafficking bill without including one of their typical extraneous measures on abortion. But thats the least of it. Refusing to make senate confirmations as a way of "getting even" is typical of what a juvenile might consider. Oh, right, that's who we are talking about.
Their confederate voters will be delighted to know that the republicans are working hard to continue to reduce social benefits of all kind in the coming years. Those voters can look forward to their "golden years" without benefit of Medicare, Medicaid, maybe even healthcare, if they can vote in enough republicans in 2016.
There is usually no surprise anymore at their antics, since their behavior, in most regards, typically mimics that of a delinquent. But, again, they are only representing and playing to their constituents; always a scary thought.
The republicans latest escapade includes a failure to pass a simple piece of legislation, because they refuse to provide a straight up/down vote on human trafficking bill without including one of their typical extraneous measures on abortion. But thats the least of it. Refusing to make senate confirmations as a way of "getting even" is typical of what a juvenile might consider. Oh, right, that's who we are talking about.
Their confederate voters will be delighted to know that the republicans are working hard to continue to reduce social benefits of all kind in the coming years. Those voters can look forward to their "golden years" without benefit of Medicare, Medicaid, maybe even healthcare, if they can vote in enough republicans in 2016.
28
Let;'s boot these Constitutional predators out of office and give them a chance for the gold: lobbying for big Pharma, big Argi, big Oil, the NRA, and our too-big-to-fail moneylenders. Heck they're already shilling for 'em. Both sides of the aisle in both chambers are a gaggle of trafficking, bootlegging, poncing blowhards who wouldn't know their sworn duties to the office if they met it walking down the street.
7
I'm wondering if now is the time to change the way Congress is paid. Instead of a regular paycheck Congressional pay would be dictated by completed laws sent to the President. With all the staffers each member has I find it incredible that in office communications between the staff and member has become oxymoronic. A staffer noticed the insertion and failed to tell the boss! No wonder Congress has provided fodder for pundits for generations.
5
Yes, the GOP currently deserves ridicule, but to be fair, both parties have too many self-serving, parochial, professional politicians who put party and image above the good of the nation. Too broad, perhaps—there are some actual representatives—but Gail’s article got the blood going. I vividly recall Chuck Schumer and his “chattering class” comment about lines inserted into a bill for pork spending and how we, the uncomprehending plebs, should simply shut up and allow the masters to work.
So, a bill had verbiage inserted and Aaron Schock resigned in disgrace, why is that shocking or a new low—it is more like standard operating procedure. Visit Schock’s web page—read his bio. It reads like an exercise in self-aggrandizement and image cultivation. It is because there is precious little substance or experience. What Schock had (according to Open Secrets) was considerable financial support. For each election, Schock raised over $2 million dollars (about 40% more than the average for house members), received over half of his funding from PACs ($1.5 million for the last election), and contributed exactly $0 of his own money. To be fair, many contribute zero, but it made me think—he has no skin in the game. Maybe that is part of the problem!
Amusingly, if you go to the US Senate web site, it describes the legislature as the “the living symbol of our union of states." Gail, I humbly suggest a different slogan—party before people and money above all.
So, a bill had verbiage inserted and Aaron Schock resigned in disgrace, why is that shocking or a new low—it is more like standard operating procedure. Visit Schock’s web page—read his bio. It reads like an exercise in self-aggrandizement and image cultivation. It is because there is precious little substance or experience. What Schock had (according to Open Secrets) was considerable financial support. For each election, Schock raised over $2 million dollars (about 40% more than the average for house members), received over half of his funding from PACs ($1.5 million for the last election), and contributed exactly $0 of his own money. To be fair, many contribute zero, but it made me think—he has no skin in the game. Maybe that is part of the problem!
Amusingly, if you go to the US Senate web site, it describes the legislature as the “the living symbol of our union of states." Gail, I humbly suggest a different slogan—party before people and money above all.
7
If I may suggest a small revision...in Gail's suggestion of a poison pill that Democrats might introduce, change "victims" to "perpetrators". The gun lobby and GOP would still object.
5
What puzzles me is why world leaders would align themselves with this bunch? It must be the function of the dysfunction that attracts them.
4
In my view, our entire system of government has become seriously dysfunctional. Clearly, the system no longer puts the needs of the country (and its people) first.
Money has so polluted our political waters in so many different ways. Our so called system of "representative" government no longer seems to represent the interests of the population at large. Instead, our political representatives have become much more attentive to the needs and interests of the K St. lobbyists first (Money talks - Citizens United).
Our disappearing middle class (due primarily to corporate globalization trends) and our decaying infrastructure are setting us on a course of titanic disaster. Instead of addressing these serious needs, we keep hearing of the need to pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement (TPP), yet another trade agreement that will only serve to further diminish what remains of our vanishing middle class.
Also, there's far too much attention paid to that silly and unpopular proposal for that Canadian pipeline that would run through the heart of America. It might create just a few dozen jobs but with great environmental risks.
Our system is in need of serious reforms. And the only way this can happen is for the public to organize and VOTE in ALL elections. Too many people don't have a clue about how Washington operates. They need a solid understanding of exactly how our government works so that they can feel empowered to help create the kind of change we need.
Money has so polluted our political waters in so many different ways. Our so called system of "representative" government no longer seems to represent the interests of the population at large. Instead, our political representatives have become much more attentive to the needs and interests of the K St. lobbyists first (Money talks - Citizens United).
Our disappearing middle class (due primarily to corporate globalization trends) and our decaying infrastructure are setting us on a course of titanic disaster. Instead of addressing these serious needs, we keep hearing of the need to pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement (TPP), yet another trade agreement that will only serve to further diminish what remains of our vanishing middle class.
Also, there's far too much attention paid to that silly and unpopular proposal for that Canadian pipeline that would run through the heart of America. It might create just a few dozen jobs but with great environmental risks.
Our system is in need of serious reforms. And the only way this can happen is for the public to organize and VOTE in ALL elections. Too many people don't have a clue about how Washington operates. They need a solid understanding of exactly how our government works so that they can feel empowered to help create the kind of change we need.
11
It is well known that politicians do not write or even read bills on which they will eventually vote. So, as to end this nonsense, could one person from the Democratic Party acknowledge that he/she did not read the bill even though he/she said that it had been read and the resign. Nice way out for both parties. Then vote on the trafficking bill.
3
Perhaps it would be useful if Senate rules were changed so that the only bills allowed to come to the floor were those that dealt with a single subject, say human trafficking, and limited to a single page listing the ten top salient points to be discussed and voted up or down in a single vote. Then, assuming the bill passed, members of the Senate would be allowed to offer up amendments subject to the same process. In other words, rather than allowing all of the horse trading, manipulation, sneaky or sloppy insertions of language to take place behind the scenes before the vote, employ the mechanics of conflict negotiators and reverse the process to begin with areas of agreement before moving on to specific subjects of disagreement.
OK, I'm kidding, but gIven the absolute dysfunction going on in our newly elected branches of congress, it does not seem radical to suggest some official acknowledgment of the ongoing civil war that has brought our governing bodies to a state of paralysis. Why not define it as one would any area devastated by conflict, a disaster area in need of immediate intervention and bring in peacekeeping forces, clean up crews, hostage negotiators, outside observers; heck, go for the National Guard to keep everyone in their seats unless and until they actually do their jobs?
OK, I'm kidding, but gIven the absolute dysfunction going on in our newly elected branches of congress, it does not seem radical to suggest some official acknowledgment of the ongoing civil war that has brought our governing bodies to a state of paralysis. Why not define it as one would any area devastated by conflict, a disaster area in need of immediate intervention and bring in peacekeeping forces, clean up crews, hostage negotiators, outside observers; heck, go for the National Guard to keep everyone in their seats unless and until they actually do their jobs?
12
Right! One-page bills without amendments.
1
The problem may be that incompetent people are too incompetent to know they are incompetent. (Paul Krugman has been writing about this a lot with regard to economists.) It could be the same for our senators with their sloppy legislation (loopholes, confusing wording, etc.), diversionary tactics, bull-headed obstructionism, and not doing their homework such as reading the bills they vote on.
So our problem is: How do you get incompetent people to realize they are incompetent, especially when they have egos as big as all outdoors, and they are handsomely rewarded with praise and lots of money for their incompetent behavior by selfish, self-serving oligarchs and plutocrats?
Also, how do we know when our country has hit bottom? I keep thinking this is it, it can't go any lower, but it does.
So our problem is: How do you get incompetent people to realize they are incompetent, especially when they have egos as big as all outdoors, and they are handsomely rewarded with praise and lots of money for their incompetent behavior by selfish, self-serving oligarchs and plutocrats?
Also, how do we know when our country has hit bottom? I keep thinking this is it, it can't go any lower, but it does.
25
The Republicans are using a clever psychological ploy. They know that if they create enough controversy and confusion, the voting public will choose to opt out. They know that the majority of people prefer to avoid controversy and confrontation. The majority of people will back away, or instead of trying to figure out who is at fault, will say "a pox on both your houses." Therefore, their raging base will rally and those who are more inclined to be tempered will be turned off. The Democrats need a raging base. When it becomes apparent that the voting public has been almost disenfranchised, maybe then they will wake up and vote for their self interest.
19
As there will always be women who want or need an abortion, Republicans want to ensure that pregnancy termination for any reason will always be illegal and deadly. Except for their own wives, mistresses or daughters, of course.
57
Yes, it is fascinating how GW Bush support of a former girlfriend's abortion was negotiated out of common knowledge. And then there are the protesters who seem to be able to live with abortions in their own pasts.
23
The only thing more shameful than the petty and misguided behavior of our Congress is the simple fact that we elected them!
Add to that offense, our Supreme Court is not elected by "we the people" but by the ideologues of both houses and both parties.
In 229 years we are trashing the experiment of a Free Democracy.
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
How far we have come from Justice, Tranquility, general Welfare while securing the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity...
What we are leaving our children is an unworkable ideal of government and a shameful legacy of misguided egocentric passions.
Add to that offense, our Supreme Court is not elected by "we the people" but by the ideologues of both houses and both parties.
In 229 years we are trashing the experiment of a Free Democracy.
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
How far we have come from Justice, Tranquility, general Welfare while securing the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity...
What we are leaving our children is an unworkable ideal of government and a shameful legacy of misguided egocentric passions.
32
In this case the Democrats should have accepted the bill as written. Whatever the "exemptions" that Cornyn is referring to the fact remains that those women who need or desire abortions will have access to them whether this money is paid out or not. As long as no one is scrutinizing the victims themselves (which would probably be unconstitutional) the acceptance of the funds involved would certainly not prevent them from exercising their reproductive rights. And they will still need money for other purposes. As for the predators, one hopes that the payment of "fines" will not afford them a pass to stay out of jail.
3
"In this case the Democrats should have accepted the bill as written."
This is not a good idea, because they would be tainted forevermore as having voted for anti-abortion legislation.
This is not a good idea, because they would be tainted forevermore as having voted for anti-abortion legislation.
1
It's pretty rich --- pun intended --- that the same Republicans that are in support of inserting a sentence regarding abortion to this legislation regarding the sexual trafficking of women and children are the same Republicans who support substantial cuts in food stamps and Medicare. Reality check --- rich women and children with rich parents aren't sexually trafficked. And rich women and rich teens can afford to travel anywhere for an abortion, even if that means Canada, Mexico or Europe.
68
The Senate is simply demonstrating what most knowledgeable voters knew all along: The GOP is not capable of governing.
Now if their antics can only get the attention of the class confused electorate that continues to vote against its own interests we may indeed finally extricate ourselves from the working class masochism that is Republican "majorities".
Now if their antics can only get the attention of the class confused electorate that continues to vote against its own interests we may indeed finally extricate ourselves from the working class masochism that is Republican "majorities".
55
Document tracking has been common practice for decades. It seems to me it should be a requirement for the tracking to be made available to senate staffers. There's no reason other than dishonesty to omit the simple technological assistance available to the lowliest writer or secretary in normal everyday business.
32
Abortion is legal in this country, according to the Supreme Court's ruling in Roe vs Wade.
If the Republican's are so intent on taking away our right to choose, because after all they are constantly championing "liberty" and bellowing that the government should stay out of our lives, why don't Republicans overturn, legally and legislatively with a majority in broad daylight, our right to choose instead of using tricks and cowardly actions to chip away at our legal rights? Oh, that's right, a majority in this country is for a woman's right to choose and so Republicans have to use sleazy maneuvers to change things they don't like.
And why in the world, when you're trying to end sex trafficking, would you try and take away these victim's rights when their very victimhood has to do with sexual crimes?
If the Republican's are so intent on taking away our right to choose, because after all they are constantly championing "liberty" and bellowing that the government should stay out of our lives, why don't Republicans overturn, legally and legislatively with a majority in broad daylight, our right to choose instead of using tricks and cowardly actions to chip away at our legal rights? Oh, that's right, a majority in this country is for a woman's right to choose and so Republicans have to use sleazy maneuvers to change things they don't like.
And why in the world, when you're trying to end sex trafficking, would you try and take away these victim's rights when their very victimhood has to do with sexual crimes?
80
The Republican leadership should be congratulated. It has long been a principle of many conservatives, in and out of the Republican party, that the less government the better, and that the ideal is no government at all. By completely stopping the functioning of the US Senate for an extended period, our leadership can finally provide a practical test of how well this idea works.
52
Government is not the problem unless Republicans are in power. They have an inablity to see the chaos the would result without Government.
Our Senate has become a bad joke. McConnell and friends openly work for the oil companies. armaments industries, and the banks, and the Democrats meekly hope to slow them down once in a while. They should try making a few direct appeals to the national electorate:
"My Republican opponents are all liars and thieves, and get the material for their speeches from the PR departments of Exxon, Koch, Lockheed Martin, Monsanto, and the rest of them. They don't care about you, who are just the suckers. If you pay attention and start to throw them out, we might be able to reclaim this country".
Collegiality has become a one way street. Time to bring out the bazookas.
"My Republican opponents are all liars and thieves, and get the material for their speeches from the PR departments of Exxon, Koch, Lockheed Martin, Monsanto, and the rest of them. They don't care about you, who are just the suckers. If you pay attention and start to throw them out, we might be able to reclaim this country".
Collegiality has become a one way street. Time to bring out the bazookas.
138
To me, "pro-life" should be far, far more than mere anti-abortion. Shouldn't we be helping women to avoid unplanned pregnancies by providing access to safe, affordable contraception? If the life of the defenseless fetus is so precious that society demands it has a right to be born, doesn't society also have a responsibility to provide pre-natal and other health care, job training, and affordable daycare and preschool for the mother and child so that they both can have a chance at good health and a good life? The Christianity I know is about redemption, second chances, helping people recover from misfortune and mistakes and rebuild their lives. That's the whole point of the cross. It's easy to add an anti-abortion clause to a bill, but all it does is ensure that mother and child will be defenseless in the face of a cruel society that gloats over their suffering as a life-sentence for the mother's "mistake." Defenseless indeed!
90
Our Congress can't even agree on a law that requires equal pay for women - you think they'll support all of these things that might benefit poor women? Why? They're poor - they're not going to make campaign contributions and they're only good for manipulating into adding to votes against their own interests in gerrymandered districts.
1
Thank you. I've been trying to make this point for years but neither party seems to have seized on this idea.
I know why Republicans don't get behind these things, it's because they're not really pro life but I don't understand why Democrats aren't talking more about these topics.
I know why Republicans don't get behind these things, it's because they're not really pro life but I don't understand why Democrats aren't talking more about these topics.
2
Americans still do not understand that religion should play not part in government. Something the founding farthers made clear when they wrote the constitution. Despite what any court may say, since they are overly influenced by religious preference, the fact that we are pluralistic, secular society with many different religions, and some of us who do not find reason to follow any of them, do have rights. Women have the right to control their own bodies and no government or religion should abridge that right.
91
Many of us do understand this, but what's challenging for those of us who crave the secular nation our founding fathers decreed is the lack of a national organization ( read lobby) that advocates for our goals and positions.
Meanwhile religious people interpret our so-called lack of faith as having no beliefs and then proceed to presume their own beliefs should take precedence over our 'absent' ones. The idea that one can be ethical and moral while not believing in a god that looks like an old white man with a long grey beard and blue eyes really is incomprehensible to some people.
Our universe is a truly wondrous, complex, amazing place. Magical thinking is not required to make it so.
Meanwhile religious people interpret our so-called lack of faith as having no beliefs and then proceed to presume their own beliefs should take precedence over our 'absent' ones. The idea that one can be ethical and moral while not believing in a god that looks like an old white man with a long grey beard and blue eyes really is incomprehensible to some people.
Our universe is a truly wondrous, complex, amazing place. Magical thinking is not required to make it so.
10
"Americans" to understand this - but apparently our elected officials don't - nor do they "American People" they constantly reference, which is defined either as the religious right or their monied interests.
Thanks as always to Gail Collins for her wisdom and lightness of touch.
A couple of days back I heard a clip of Mr. McConnell claiming the Democrats were obstructing an agreement they had already accepted, and that the Republicans were only being reasonable. Sounds a bit like claiming the economic recovery was because of the Republican victory in November.
They appear to be able to say just about anything, regardless of reason of truth, and it seems a vast number of Americans are ready to believe these lies.
This is so sad. So all you Democrats who didn't bother to vote, you've made it so much easier for these exploiters to further obstruct the commonwealth in favor of their buddies. The more they have, the more they will take.
Unfortunately, with each step they figure out new ways to rig the vote. The more you stay out of the process, the more you advantage the worst of the worst.
A couple of days back I heard a clip of Mr. McConnell claiming the Democrats were obstructing an agreement they had already accepted, and that the Republicans were only being reasonable. Sounds a bit like claiming the economic recovery was because of the Republican victory in November.
They appear to be able to say just about anything, regardless of reason of truth, and it seems a vast number of Americans are ready to believe these lies.
This is so sad. So all you Democrats who didn't bother to vote, you've made it so much easier for these exploiters to further obstruct the commonwealth in favor of their buddies. The more they have, the more they will take.
Unfortunately, with each step they figure out new ways to rig the vote. The more you stay out of the process, the more you advantage the worst of the worst.
125
For anyone to carry on as if the United States government as a whole has not permanently lost credibility due to today's GOP is pretty bad. Starting with the Supreme Court "decision" to elect W Bush in 2000, The Patriot Act. The Iraq Invasion, and now the current Senate it is safe to say the whole experiment known as the United States has been derailed permanently. This is not a young republic making mistakes, this is a horrid group of cynical souls who have sold our soul as a nation down the river for a few extra coins for themselves. Repair may not be possible.
144
Women - and the men who love them - will rid Congress of these righteous religious nuts who want to take us back to the middle ages where women wore chastity belts. These fools have been trying to suppress women since the inception of "civilization" as defined by religious zealots. Do not vote for any republican/libertarian/tea party member, democrat or independent who thinks their job includes trying to control a woman's right to choose what she does with her own body.
154
". . . someone discovered that it had acquired a clause forbidding the use of the money to provide victims with access to abortions."
The religious right or whatever they are inserted this part of the bill, why? How is it even thinkable that victims of human trafficking not be allowed access to abortion? How could such language protect the sanctity of life, a theme we hear continually from the GOP? This is disgusting.
The religious right or whatever they are inserted this part of the bill, why? How is it even thinkable that victims of human trafficking not be allowed access to abortion? How could such language protect the sanctity of life, a theme we hear continually from the GOP? This is disgusting.
131
So much for the Republican ability to govern and the Democrats ability (or that of their aides) to read. However, abortion politics should not come into this at all. Or, if they must, they should be on the side of the young women so exploited. Haven't the Republicans carried on enough about the sanctity of life and the importance of the family to understand that forcing young women to have children they don't want violates those ideas? I'm tired of reading or hearing about how the GOP values life because they don't. They value money, rich donors, and power.
204
If republicans won't even have the conversation that leaving our children an uninhabitable planet might be worse than leaving them mountains of debt it is way past time to admit they are not about the children, or the sanctity of life.
9
Hollywood is missing out on a sensational opportunity--Republican Vaudeville Reality TV. Sure Hollywood produces sitcoms and dramas about government (House of Cards, Madam Secretary, Parks and Recreation, etc.), but it is missing out on the shows that have Americans riveted to their TV's, such as Keeping Up with the Kardashians, The Bachelor, The Voice, etc. Instead of boring C-SPAN minute-by-minute coverage, we could have Keeping Up with the Republicans, The Speaker, and The Turtle.
Hollywood can do this on the cheap; no need for writers, scripts, actors or sets. You can't make up what happens in congress; its unbelievable, but true; and politicians can't resist a camera and microphone. The Hollywood crew just needs to follow Republicans around with video cameras to document their daily lives. As Gail so frequently informs us, our government is a ship of fools and we might as well enjoy a few laughs as they sink it.
Hollywood can do this on the cheap; no need for writers, scripts, actors or sets. You can't make up what happens in congress; its unbelievable, but true; and politicians can't resist a camera and microphone. The Hollywood crew just needs to follow Republicans around with video cameras to document their daily lives. As Gail so frequently informs us, our government is a ship of fools and we might as well enjoy a few laughs as they sink it.
42
I'm not so sure it's a comedy, though. It's at least a drama, maybe a tragedy. The political entity formerly known as the Republican Party has lost its soul, and its members have "broken bad". But most of them retain no part of their soul and are rotten to the core. They remind me more of the four dirty cops on "The Shield". They are entertaining, but in a thoroughly morbid way.
1
Remember what happened when Larry Flynt offered one million dollars to people to expose republican sexual hijinks. They fell like flies. He had to stop because it got too expensive. Following them with a camera would really be interesting. It would probably get top ratings.
2
The only thought I can muster about this is a 2 minute 42 second exchange about how we no longer have any leaders who can get anything done.
Of course, the danger of that is apparent: "It's bad for America." Intelligent answers are not being provided to intelligent questions. Instead, we see arrogance and paralysis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdXzKKK4Z7E
Of course, the danger of that is apparent: "It's bad for America." Intelligent answers are not being provided to intelligent questions. Instead, we see arrogance and paralysis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdXzKKK4Z7E
4
We should expect nothing from the US Senate and we seem to getting it. Just imagine if you worked like this at your job.
44
I'd still have it if I worked like this. After all corporate America is littered with CEOs, upper level managers, and even some lower level people who are so incompetent that we're always picking up after them. Doing so in order to keep the business running makes them look like great managers and then, when the firings occur, we're fired because we made the incompetents look good.
So, we'd still have our jobs if we did them the way these GOP members are not doing theirs.
So, we'd still have our jobs if we did them the way these GOP members are not doing theirs.
6
How low can we go? How low is a sinkhole? I'm no physicist, but I believe the laws of gravity may be about to be broken with this Congress.
Helping victims of sexual trafficking by adding an antiabortion clause is really the definition of oxymoronic legislation. Kind of like a jobs bill that inserted a clause disallowing American workers--only those in India need apply.
When a family member and I were discussing this last night, we agreed it was remiscent of kindergarten. "If you don't play the game I want, I won't confirm Lynch." So what if that means Holder--whom they hate with slightly less fervor than the president--stays in office? Shooting themselves in the foot is par for the course.
If we're not even past the first quarter of the year, the future of this Congress looks grim. I've said it before and I'll say it again: thanks to all of you who sat out the midterms. You helped give us what I'll call the oxymoronic Congress.
Minus the "oxy."
Helping victims of sexual trafficking by adding an antiabortion clause is really the definition of oxymoronic legislation. Kind of like a jobs bill that inserted a clause disallowing American workers--only those in India need apply.
When a family member and I were discussing this last night, we agreed it was remiscent of kindergarten. "If you don't play the game I want, I won't confirm Lynch." So what if that means Holder--whom they hate with slightly less fervor than the president--stays in office? Shooting themselves in the foot is par for the course.
If we're not even past the first quarter of the year, the future of this Congress looks grim. I've said it before and I'll say it again: thanks to all of you who sat out the midterms. You helped give us what I'll call the oxymoronic Congress.
Minus the "oxy."
164
For those paying attention, there is no such thing as a "new low" for
today's GOP. It is a bottomless bottom.
The big lie is the MSM meme that they "have to show they can govern."
This is nonsense, they have no interest in governing.
Just as Ringling Brothers has dropped elephants, the GOP needs
a new symbol- it should be a coat hanger.
today's GOP. It is a bottomless bottom.
The big lie is the MSM meme that they "have to show they can govern."
This is nonsense, they have no interest in governing.
Just as Ringling Brothers has dropped elephants, the GOP needs
a new symbol- it should be a coat hanger.
123
You are correct about Giuliani. His recent statements have been so bizarre that it is surprising for him to say something senssible, such as urging his fellow Republicans to support Mr. Lynch. (I think one of the NY tabloids even derisively dubbed him as "Fooliani" recently.)
What is not surprising is the ineptness of the Congress. But the congress has dipped lower in the past. Its approval rating are at double digits now (a whopping 20%), but it has been as low as 9% in 2013. Graph here: http://www.gallup.com/poll/1600/congress-public.aspx
What is not surprising is the ineptness of the Congress. But the congress has dipped lower in the past. Its approval rating are at double digits now (a whopping 20%), but it has been as low as 9% in 2013. Graph here: http://www.gallup.com/poll/1600/congress-public.aspx
7
It is hard to get outraged anymore. This nonsensical behavior is now the new normal. Can't vote the bums out due to gerrymandering! Can't get them to legislate to take unlimited money out of politics! Can't shame them into behaving well by shining a light on their crazy in the news media!
What is it that we can do?
What is it that we can do?
111
Impeach the bums? Initiate recall elections? However, only the people that are in those states can do that and, since they are red states, those people will not do that at all. Unless they are charged with an actual crime and then convicted they cannot be removed until they lose or decide to retire. Sorry about that.
6
Gerrymandering is indeed a problem but it can be overcome if people were to vote in high numbers like they do in presidential elections.
The vote is the only tool of power the average person has in this country and we throw it away like yesterday's garbage. The reason we got the disaster of the Republican control of both houses of Congress is that only a small minority turned out to vote- and look at the result. No one has the right to complain about Congress if they didn't vote in the last mid-term election. Yes, we can change things- but only if we bother to vote. We don't have to spend millions like the Koch bros. and their ilk- we just have to not be lazy and vote in every single election.
The vote is the only tool of power the average person has in this country and we throw it away like yesterday's garbage. The reason we got the disaster of the Republican control of both houses of Congress is that only a small minority turned out to vote- and look at the result. No one has the right to complain about Congress if they didn't vote in the last mid-term election. Yes, we can change things- but only if we bother to vote. We don't have to spend millions like the Koch bros. and their ilk- we just have to not be lazy and vote in every single election.
13
These misfits couldn't agree on the tautology that a husband is a married man. "T'is sad; t'is true." I watched and listened to some of the speeches in the senate on this issue. One of the republican senators claimed to be standing on principle as he opposed the bill. Senator Boxer was waxing and waning about being old enough to remember the good old days when the republican right wing had its way and abortions were performed in alleys using coat hangers, and such. I am older than boxer and I remember the other end of the economic spectrum dashing off to Europe for abortions where they were legal and performed by doctors in hospitals. I recall an acquaintance of mine going to a US hospital for a D and C to rid herself of an unwanted pregnancy. The only folks affected by right wing insanity are the poor who cannot afford the same rights and privileges as the narrow minded bigots they represent. That women in this country tolerate pols who take stands against them confounds me.
200
The Hyde Amendment needs to go.
2
We need to remember that religion led politics during the Dark Ages.
3
I guess that all that energy McConnell used to make the American economy thrive more took more out of him to lead than first thought.
18
No, the new low was Sen. Durbin saying Republicans had moved Ms. Lynch "to the back of the bus."
Until he apologizes for that disgusting remark, Republicans should decline to bring her name forward for a vote -- and blame him for that.
Until he apologizes for that disgusting remark, Republicans should decline to bring her name forward for a vote -- and blame him for that.
23
This is a perfect example of the racism that lies behind the GOP's public face. Perhaps no one told him that we won the right to sit anywhere on the bus we choose. Actually I"m glad he exposed that aspect of himself. It should certainly ensure that he will not be elected again - as long as we keep reminding people of this vicious slip of the tongue.
1
The truth hurts.
1
I guess that's like Ben Carson equating health care and slavery.
2
As usual, Gail is without peer at lampooning a subject. Yet it might have been noticed by some that we had an election last year, and that Democrats lost the Senate. That means that Republicans, with whatever priorities THEY can agree on among themselves, get to set the tone of legislation. One of the issues on which the greatest disagreement exists between Republicans and Democrats in this country and indeed in Congress is public funding of abortion; and Democrats certainly haven't been fooled about where our more conservative Republicans stand on this issue. Yet the hue and cry is intense from the left about inclusion of a simple sentence that acknowledges all of that -- or at least to the extent that it matters how loudly Dick Durbin and Chuck Schumer scream anymore.
Perhaps Democrats thought that by losing the Senate to Republicans they were going to get a Democratic Senate? This, in case it's not clear, is why some effort should be extended not to lose a senate.
So ... one line that seeks to prohibit what many Republicans detest, the same line that's in MANY pieces of legislation passed over many years in a bipartisan way, is killing an important bill on human trafficking. And Democrats are blaming Republicans for this. Seems to me that if Democrats want to publically fund abortions, then they should win back the Senate, then the House, keep the presidency and simply legislate that desire. Until that happens, guess what? Deal with that one line in a 112 page bill.
Perhaps Democrats thought that by losing the Senate to Republicans they were going to get a Democratic Senate? This, in case it's not clear, is why some effort should be extended not to lose a senate.
So ... one line that seeks to prohibit what many Republicans detest, the same line that's in MANY pieces of legislation passed over many years in a bipartisan way, is killing an important bill on human trafficking. And Democrats are blaming Republicans for this. Seems to me that if Democrats want to publically fund abortions, then they should win back the Senate, then the House, keep the presidency and simply legislate that desire. Until that happens, guess what? Deal with that one line in a 112 page bill.
2
Looking back to the origins of a problem can be very valuable in trying to understand how to solve it. In this situation, however, when trying to reach agreement on a worthy action, the question of who was elected is not as important as the tactic of setting aside an issue that cannot be resolved in favor of getting something done.
16
Richard, I can't approve this comment. You're saying, in effect, that the Senate minority should role over and play dead. That's silly, you will agree. A majority does not have the right to steamroller the minority, not in the country I live in.
9
@Thomas Zaslavsky: What he's saying is that the Senate minority should roll over and play dead. . .when it's a Democratic minority. When the tables were turned, it was all about the minority's mounting a courageous and spirited fight against an out-of-control progressive agenda (or somesuch). Context is everything.
6
One would think at this point that the drafting of Bills by whomever in either house would have some protocol to track the author of each and ever word so that this kind of mystery, and there have been many examples in the past, stops. What are these guys paid for? Why are they paid? Virgins in the brothel? What a bunch of clowns.
59
Gail is the only columnist who can make me simultaneously laugh and hurl with just the plain truth. Thank you, I think....
158
Ms. Collins....may I remind you once again, all us readers are not your "people."
The ones who are, of course, are head-jerkingup and down like the little drinking bird and glass of Kool Aid we used to see on the bar years ago. They don't even need to read your nonsense and they already approve.
Others look at this piece you have written today and wonder how ever ever got through Logic 101 in school. Minority politicians have been tacking on their favored legislation to other bills since, well, long before you were born.
I assure you that some of your readers are prolife for scientific reasons and are not wacko religious nuts. Most of us took Biology 101 and have deduced that humankind is human and deserves to be born instead of exectuted in the womb.
In practicing politics, I'd attach that abortion provision to any bill that deserved passing in the hope that there'd be a few fewer aborted fetuses than the millions we have discarded each year. As you so poignantly, add there are other more traveled roads to access abortion already.
And as a last line of defense against the defenseless among us, we have a President who's so pro-abortion that he has called down God's blessing on Planned Parenthood, in addition to finding ways to fund them into perpetuity.
It isn't that the Democrats can't read. They can't think.
The ones who are, of course, are head-jerkingup and down like the little drinking bird and glass of Kool Aid we used to see on the bar years ago. They don't even need to read your nonsense and they already approve.
Others look at this piece you have written today and wonder how ever ever got through Logic 101 in school. Minority politicians have been tacking on their favored legislation to other bills since, well, long before you were born.
I assure you that some of your readers are prolife for scientific reasons and are not wacko religious nuts. Most of us took Biology 101 and have deduced that humankind is human and deserves to be born instead of exectuted in the womb.
In practicing politics, I'd attach that abortion provision to any bill that deserved passing in the hope that there'd be a few fewer aborted fetuses than the millions we have discarded each year. As you so poignantly, add there are other more traveled roads to access abortion already.
And as a last line of defense against the defenseless among us, we have a President who's so pro-abortion that he has called down God's blessing on Planned Parenthood, in addition to finding ways to fund them into perpetuity.
It isn't that the Democrats can't read. They can't think.
5
In other words, you'd jam your right wing, religious views down the throats of the rest of us, or prevent the government from functioning. Let's hear it for government by blackmail.
Nobody told me in Bio 101 - or 201 or 301 - that human fetuses were metaphysically different from that of any other species - but then I'd didn't attend the Woebegone Evangelical Academy. Attaching unpopular provisions to needed legislation is a tactic that has been employed by Congress for two centuries to kill legislation that would otherwise pass by a wide majority. You would bring the government to s halt unless the entire nation was forced to follow your religious beliefs and confused version of "science." Have you considered a move to Saudi Arabia? No choices there.
It's remarkable that nobody read a blacklined version of the Anti-Trafficking Bill until so late in the process, but I agree that it should not pass unless this irrelevant, anti-choice, anti-woman provision - which could not have passed on its own merits - is removed.
Gail's readers are informed and intelligent. It's a pity that so few Americans have access to a quality education.
Nobody told me in Bio 101 - or 201 or 301 - that human fetuses were metaphysically different from that of any other species - but then I'd didn't attend the Woebegone Evangelical Academy. Attaching unpopular provisions to needed legislation is a tactic that has been employed by Congress for two centuries to kill legislation that would otherwise pass by a wide majority. You would bring the government to s halt unless the entire nation was forced to follow your religious beliefs and confused version of "science." Have you considered a move to Saudi Arabia? No choices there.
It's remarkable that nobody read a blacklined version of the Anti-Trafficking Bill until so late in the process, but I agree that it should not pass unless this irrelevant, anti-choice, anti-woman provision - which could not have passed on its own merits - is removed.
Gail's readers are informed and intelligent. It's a pity that so few Americans have access to a quality education.
189
So if your sister was raped you'd value the baby more than the mother?
Since you are so fixated on unborn babies, I hope you will consider providing lifetime support to the living mothers being forced to bear the fruit of men who hardly deserve the name of human, they are so fixated taking advantage, and often enjoy their "superiority" as they cause untold pain. I've noticed that most anti-choicers are also against child support, welfare, and other government services that enhance the conditions of families in unfortunately conditions. And the life of a girl or woman in sex slavery is about as bad as it gets. But god forbid she should be considered as anything but a vessel for making babies, or the conditions for the baby be taken into consideration.
Can you even imagine the suffering of a woman forced to bring the fruit of this evil and often violent act in her own body and be reminded of it every day for life?
In general, the life of an unwanted baby in the first few weeks after conception is of less value than the life of the mother, and the conditions into which it is born matter too.
Too bad you can't bring a fetus to term so you can feel what it's like.
Since you are so fixated on unborn babies, I hope you will consider providing lifetime support to the living mothers being forced to bear the fruit of men who hardly deserve the name of human, they are so fixated taking advantage, and often enjoy their "superiority" as they cause untold pain. I've noticed that most anti-choicers are also against child support, welfare, and other government services that enhance the conditions of families in unfortunately conditions. And the life of a girl or woman in sex slavery is about as bad as it gets. But god forbid she should be considered as anything but a vessel for making babies, or the conditions for the baby be taken into consideration.
Can you even imagine the suffering of a woman forced to bring the fruit of this evil and often violent act in her own body and be reminded of it every day for life?
In general, the life of an unwanted baby in the first few weeks after conception is of less value than the life of the mother, and the conditions into which it is born matter too.
Too bad you can't bring a fetus to term so you can feel what it's like.
73
Lake Woebegoner, You write, " Most of us took Biology 101 and have deduced that humankind is human and deserves to be born instead of exectuted in the womb." When life actually "begins" and the ethics of abortion are theological issues, not Biology 101 issues. Religions differ on this. If your particular religion does not permit abortion, you ought not have an abortion. But our First Amendment allows other people to practice their own religion or no religion at all. You have no right to force your own religious choices on everyone else.
30
There is a concept in modifying documents called "black-lining". Come on, are you telling me these bills are not passed around in that form as they change ? You HIGHLIGHT any changes as you pass doc's around. Even in the world of Wall Street, where so many ethics are often questioned, it would be UNHEARD of to make a change in a document without black-lining it so everyone knows it is there. Now, if you are lazy and overlook it - all is fair. These legislators must truly live in the dark ages, technically, ethically and in every other way.
67
It sounds like the Republicans don't bother providing version tracking to anybody. You are blaming some victims here.
12
You are presuming that the offending passage was "black-lined" or highlighted in some way. The Republicans were trying to trick the Democrats into voting for something that was anathema to them and most of the population. Why should they call attention to it?
2
Blacklining happens in bills as well. This change was made and explicitly not blacklined. That ought to tell you a few things about the Republican method of governing.
5
Wait. So if this law passed, it would actually stop human trafficking?
12
Of course not, genius. But it would've provided some support for victims, financed by the creeps who abuse them.
3
How optimistic of you.
1
Of course not, silly. To certain Americans human trafficking is a family value, and if you were an American politician you wouldn't want to alienate any portion of the electorate, now would you? It could cost you your job! No, as with most bills, this bill was about who gets the money, that's all.
5
Our legislative branch behaves with absolute impunity - and why not? When has anyone in either House suffered any negative consequences as a result of poor behavior? When was the last recall? impeachment? conviction?
At a certain point, we need to stop blaming Congress & Senate and start blaming the electorate that sent these people there? Why is voter turnout at a 72 year low? Why does a whopping 63.6% of the voting electorate self-disenfranchise by not showing up to vote?
This bicameral disaster is due to voters who do not seem to grasp that you should choose your Senator/Congressperson with the same diligence and care that you would use to choose a brain surgeon operating on the person you love the most in the world.
Otherwise we will get the pheasant feathers that we deserve for being a nation of fact-free and disengaged voters.
At a certain point, we need to stop blaming Congress & Senate and start blaming the electorate that sent these people there? Why is voter turnout at a 72 year low? Why does a whopping 63.6% of the voting electorate self-disenfranchise by not showing up to vote?
This bicameral disaster is due to voters who do not seem to grasp that you should choose your Senator/Congressperson with the same diligence and care that you would use to choose a brain surgeon operating on the person you love the most in the world.
Otherwise we will get the pheasant feathers that we deserve for being a nation of fact-free and disengaged voters.
617
I'm afraid that the problem is deeper than that. All--all--politicians seem to be shameless hacks. When you have a choice between a bad hamburger and a bad cheese sandwich running for the same office, why care? You're going to lose either way. During the last election, I don't remember a single proposal of substance, a single specific policy, mentioned by any candidate. They all talked in pure platitudes. When you have a choice between two nothings, you have no choice at all.
8
Turnout is low because too many people -- wrongly and stupidly as it may be -- get so turned off by all the bickering and nonsense, even if it comes from mainly one side of the fence, and say why bother to vote when it won't make any difference. It's another way the GOP intentionally suppresses votes. It's a downward spiral they want to happen so they can abolish the minimum wage and labor unions, undo every environmental protection, shelter income for the wealthy, expand welfare for the corporations, and usher in the glorious American version of a Fourth Reich.
19
While I agree that our turnout rates are shameful, consider the effect of money on them as well. Recent research has shown that negative advertising is most effective at driving down its target's voters' participation in the election. The flood of money under Citizens United that goes into battleground states buys a lot of negative advertising.
9
I am so tired of the GOP thinking they are the party of "FREEDOM"( shouted out like a blue faced Scot), except when it comes to the female genitalia. They have this need to legislate the uterus and ovaries, even after the SCOTUS put this to bed in the 1970's. It is ridiculous that we have to have this constant attack of women's rights coming from the right. Even more shameful is this covert sneak attack method. McConnell is behaving like a whiny first grader who never learned the golden rule.
28
Thank you, Gail, for your gift for describing the workings of government with accuracy and humor.
7
It should be law that any changes made to pending legislation must be made public or announced on the floor of each respective Chamber. This has happened too often and both parties are equally guilty of it. But then again, it's just politicians living up to their dishonest moniker. We have learned not to expect any better from those clowns.
3
A plutocracy benefits the rich.
A dictatorship benefits the dictator's choices of administrators.
Creating national parks benefit many people.
Creating laws benefit many people and punish people.
What do you call a government operation that nobody benefits from or is punished by?
A dictatorship benefits the dictator's choices of administrators.
Creating national parks benefit many people.
Creating laws benefit many people and punish people.
What do you call a government operation that nobody benefits from or is punished by?
2
Hey Willie,
The last thing I would call it is a Government.
The last thing I would call it is a Government.
1
I agree, we have reached the state where the stupidity of the Congress in the US scrapes a low of below zero. One must stop and ask, is this the best we can get? Really, seriously of all those products of our supposedly "exceptional" society is this the best we can get? Guess so, cause they are there, we are here, they pull the stings, we catch the refuse of their treasonous contretemps of leadership.
7
Perhaps gridlock will be the Senate's saving grace; along the lines of, "First, do no harm."
9
The senate is broken beyond repair. I resent paying one cent of my tax dollars to support people its members. They get gold plated health care FOR LIFE and yet they either can't or won't perform the functions of the job. . Appalling, disgusting, and infuriating don't begin to cover it. And, yes, I felt this way when the democrats were in the majority as well.
13
Shortage of lawyers? With all due respect, you don't even half to re-read the whole bill. The Democrats apparently suffer from a shortage of secretaries and/or word processors. Have they never heard of using "Control F" on their keyboards?
3
Personally speaking, the shocking news about a certain member of congress, has stopped a conservative buddy of mine from inundating me with emails about emails and a certain female presidential candidate.
I must admit, I was early in figuring why patience was needed by Wall Street types. They began to slam the left wing in congress for writing human trafficking legislation disguised as an attack on short-sellers!
By the way. I'm shocked that the ETF houses have yet, to develop a triple long Democrat, double long Republican, or a short the senate ETF!
Just another week, but at least the Earth spun on its axis, seven more times.
I must admit, I was early in figuring why patience was needed by Wall Street types. They began to slam the left wing in congress for writing human trafficking legislation disguised as an attack on short-sellers!
By the way. I'm shocked that the ETF houses have yet, to develop a triple long Democrat, double long Republican, or a short the senate ETF!
Just another week, but at least the Earth spun on its axis, seven more times.
6
McConnell's threat to delay a vote on Lynch is a perfect example of cutting off his own nose to spite Democratic faces. The longer he delays that vote, the longer Holder stays in the job, which is, supposedly, the very thing his party is hating on with the hatingest hate. It would bode a hilarious few years ahead for the audience, if the larger picture didn't involve the lives and futures of millions of people.
15
This is a perfect example of the racism that lies behind the GOP's public face. Perhaps no one told him that we won the right to sit anywhere on the bus we choose. Actually I'm glad he exposed that aspect of himself. It should certainly ensure that he will not be elected again - as long as we keep reminding people of this vicious slip of the tongue.
1
I'm so fed up with Republicans' sanctimony I may puke.
If, as you've stated, the bill merely FINES the sexual predator, but forces his traumatized (possibly teen-aged) victim to bear this rapist's child, the GOP's priorities are beyond my comprehension. That goes double for anyone who votes for them.
If, as you've stated, the bill merely FINES the sexual predator, but forces his traumatized (possibly teen-aged) victim to bear this rapist's child, the GOP's priorities are beyond my comprehension. That goes double for anyone who votes for them.
61
How enlightening. How bizarre. How scary!
8
A Republican Representative decorates his office Downton Abbey style, where the underlings know their place and call their filthy rich masters "m'lord." Coincidence? I think not!
www.newyorkgritty.net
www.newyorkgritty.net
12
At least McConnell is allowing amendments from Democrats, something that hasn't happened in a very long Reid time. BTW, disgraced Democrats in Congress, go onto a long and prosperous career rather than resign. Robert Menedez should have resigned last year, and Charlie Rangle.....well Charlie is Charlie!
1
Gail, apart from the fact that America's poor are hapful, not hapless, you hit the GOP nail on the head again. As dead as a GOP nail. It must be that Medicare Part D they pushed through without an offset: they're addicted to poison pills.
BTW: I saw/heard Ted Cruz talking global warming. He thinks the US NE is the globe. And, with a totally straight face, he said “liberals ignore the science.” Cruzifying logic.
BTW: I saw/heard Ted Cruz talking global warming. He thinks the US NE is the globe. And, with a totally straight face, he said “liberals ignore the science.” Cruzifying logic.
24
Tragedy upon tragedy upon tragedy. Where will it end? Possibly when we vote more women into office and let the boys play in the sandbox. There is no excuse for not doing your jobs congressmen and women. Read the bills!
16
Senator Cornyn's argument that the anti-abortion phrasing absolutely must stay in the bill but that there was no cause for concern because it would have no real effect on women's ability to get abortions has a familiar ring. Oh yeah, it reminds me of the conservative arguments against the Equal Rights Amendment (which they succeeded in killing back in 1982). The arguments were that we should oppose the ERA (a) because it would have no real impact since it wasn't needed; women were doing fine and would soon be paid equally to men, and (b) because the ERA would completely destroy our American way of life; confusion would reign as men swarmed into women's restrooms and women signed up for the NFL, took over military combat operations, demanded access to the TV remote, etc.
44
Wiki much?
"the Hyde Amendment is a legislative provision barring the use of certain federal funds to pay for abortions except if a pregnancy arises from incest or rape.[1] It is not a permanent law, rather it is a "rider" that, in various forms, has been ROUTINELY attached to annual appropriations bills since 1976."
Yes, the trafficking bill is not an appropriation, but it does raise money via fines and therefore the insertion of the Hyde provision should not be controversial.
I am not an anti-abortion zealot, but I am a zealot about Senators doing their jobs. It seems fundamental to me that one key job of a Senator is to read legislation being drafted by a committee BEFORE the committee votes. Maybe I am old-fashioned....
"the Hyde Amendment is a legislative provision barring the use of certain federal funds to pay for abortions except if a pregnancy arises from incest or rape.[1] It is not a permanent law, rather it is a "rider" that, in various forms, has been ROUTINELY attached to annual appropriations bills since 1976."
Yes, the trafficking bill is not an appropriation, but it does raise money via fines and therefore the insertion of the Hyde provision should not be controversial.
I am not an anti-abortion zealot, but I am a zealot about Senators doing their jobs. It seems fundamental to me that one key job of a Senator is to read legislation being drafted by a committee BEFORE the committee votes. Maybe I am old-fashioned....
4
So you're saying the Republicans should have actually read the Affordable Care Act before they voted against it? No way. Maybe if they had, they would have spotted that "ambiguous" language they're not using to trash healthcare for millions of Americans. To me, the significant issue is that nobody seems to know how the anti-abortion language got into the bill in question. So who's the brave soul who inserted it but is afraid to own up?
23
In this case, the Hyde amendment is inappropriate because the funds in question are not government funds, they are monies recovered from the perpetrators of human trafficking to provide some compensation to their victims.
5
I'm guessing it's a low-level, back-bencher staff member so as not to blow anybody's cover...
1
Republicans truly don't know how to govern anymore. For the House to make destroying Medicare as well as the ACA and Medicaid as core values in their budget basically equates to telling Americans that House Republicans don't care if they live or die or suffer, as long as millionaires get their tax breaks.
Both the GOP House and Senate tell students to forget about getting an education since they plan to slash Pell Grants. Many of my students already work, sometimes in two jobs.
Sneaking the abortion poison pill into an anti-sex trafficking bill tells the victms of sex trafficking, one of the most vulnerable groups imaginable, that medical advice and consequences of their rapes and abuse take second place to Republicans' rigid far right religious dictates.
To claim that Democratic senators didn't read the bill at all stages before and after this sentence was hidden in the text basically tells the Democrats that they can never trust their Republican colleagues not to do something underhanded and destructive. Of course, these actions lead to distrust combined with attacking their Democratic colleagues. Then McConnell does the usual Republican blackmail, holding up the attorney general's appointment in the usual hostage taking - regardless of the fact that this attorney general who happens to be black and female is already facing unprecedented delays.
The new GOP looks like the tea party GOP of the past few years - anarchic destroyers.
Both the GOP House and Senate tell students to forget about getting an education since they plan to slash Pell Grants. Many of my students already work, sometimes in two jobs.
Sneaking the abortion poison pill into an anti-sex trafficking bill tells the victms of sex trafficking, one of the most vulnerable groups imaginable, that medical advice and consequences of their rapes and abuse take second place to Republicans' rigid far right religious dictates.
To claim that Democratic senators didn't read the bill at all stages before and after this sentence was hidden in the text basically tells the Democrats that they can never trust their Republican colleagues not to do something underhanded and destructive. Of course, these actions lead to distrust combined with attacking their Democratic colleagues. Then McConnell does the usual Republican blackmail, holding up the attorney general's appointment in the usual hostage taking - regardless of the fact that this attorney general who happens to be black and female is already facing unprecedented delays.
The new GOP looks like the tea party GOP of the past few years - anarchic destroyers.
59
Yeah, they get their tax breaks. And they get to declare their business income not taxable because they are based in another country. Education is now dumbed down too low to recover, medical care is on the level of Bosnia, employment for high level research (physics, chemistry, medical) is now pursued in India, China, and we have to ask the Russians for space travel.
Our "elected Congress" is not concerned with America's future, it seems.
Business here is not conducted with the best interests of U.S. In the past, if it wasn't good for our country, it wasn't conducted, Patriotism is unknown today in business. But we fight for oil profits, with our young people, destroying the best we still have for the future. Does ANYBODY in Congress care for the future of our Country any longer? This abortion quagmire provides noise coverage diverting attention from the real issues. And so it goes....
Our "elected Congress" is not concerned with America's future, it seems.
Business here is not conducted with the best interests of U.S. In the past, if it wasn't good for our country, it wasn't conducted, Patriotism is unknown today in business. But we fight for oil profits, with our young people, destroying the best we still have for the future. Does ANYBODY in Congress care for the future of our Country any longer? This abortion quagmire provides noise coverage diverting attention from the real issues. And so it goes....
6
Our Senators are playing a high stakes poker game with many of us Americans being the collateral damage. And so it is entirely appropriate that the Democrats call the Republican's move and raise them a gun control amendment. As you (jokingly) point out, "It would be as if the Democrats had quietly added a stipulation requiring all trafficking victims be barred from carrying a concealed weapon." I call upon the Democrats to remove the imaginary "as if" and go ahead and raise the Republican move with their own.
39
As someone who has worked on a Native American reservation and whose husband's whole teaching career was on a reservation - it is surely not surprising that a Republican led senate who is comprised of not one single Native American, would care two hoots about Native American sex trafficking. Thank you Senator Heitkamp for showing some compassion - but surely you would know your Republican colleagues could care less.
The House passed twelve bills regarding human trafficking - perhaps they have a greater heart regarding Native American sexual exploitation - after all, they have two, yes, two real people with Native American heritage out of their brood of 435. Ah, such representation.
This Senate, with a leader such as Father Pout, Mitch McConnell, who seems to use pouting as his leadership tool, is a curious and sneaky lot.
They not only sneak letters of "policy" to foreign leaders to insult their president, they sneak in legislation (abortion type) to insult their own colleagues right here who share the same chamber with them.
If Father Pout doesn't get his way on abortion (probably because his sneaky tactic was caught) - he'll show everyone by digging his heels in and darn it, not allow the president's choice to lead the country's justice system either. Now that really makes sense doesn't it? This is the very type of bullying as in a dysfunctional family - and we're stuck with 'em.
The House passed twelve bills regarding human trafficking - perhaps they have a greater heart regarding Native American sexual exploitation - after all, they have two, yes, two real people with Native American heritage out of their brood of 435. Ah, such representation.
This Senate, with a leader such as Father Pout, Mitch McConnell, who seems to use pouting as his leadership tool, is a curious and sneaky lot.
They not only sneak letters of "policy" to foreign leaders to insult their president, they sneak in legislation (abortion type) to insult their own colleagues right here who share the same chamber with them.
If Father Pout doesn't get his way on abortion (probably because his sneaky tactic was caught) - he'll show everyone by digging his heels in and darn it, not allow the president's choice to lead the country's justice system either. Now that really makes sense doesn't it? This is the very type of bullying as in a dysfunctional family - and we're stuck with 'em.
76
"and we're stuck with 'em".............only until the next election (hopefully). In the mean while we need to encourage people to get out and vote - volunteer to offer to drive them to the poles if necessary. Get active in the process. We lose our right to complain about the problems if we are not part of the solution!
I would like to see an energetic investigative reporter uncover which Senator or over zealous staffer inserted the abortion language into this bill. A spot light on shenanigans such as this might bring a little more responsibility to the legislative process. However, I'm not holding my breath.
In the other news of the day, the Architect of Obstruction, Mitch McConnell, proved to be not a leader but a petulent child when faced with obstruction. Obviously, Mr. McConnell, who is a master of dishing it out, is incapable of taking it. One would think he never heard the old saw about what goes around comes around.
In the other news of the day, the Architect of Obstruction, Mitch McConnell, proved to be not a leader but a petulent child when faced with obstruction. Obviously, Mr. McConnell, who is a master of dishing it out, is incapable of taking it. One would think he never heard the old saw about what goes around comes around.
81
Mitch McConnell desperately wants to be the new modern Oliver Cromwell He is almost there.
Is anyone else out there getting sick and tired of the Republicans adding "poison pills" to every bill in Congress? What is wrong with getting bipartisan support for a clean bill? Oh wait...that would mean that Obama and the Democrats might be seen as actually getting something accomplished and we can't have that now, can we?
The only reason for these "poison pills" added to legislation is because the Republicans know that they would never be supported if they were in a stand-alone bill. So, they try to sneak it in the back door or hold an obviously necessary bill (like the human trafficking bill) for ransom if the poison pill is not included.
I agree with Gail Collins...a new Senate low.
The only reason for these "poison pills" added to legislation is because the Republicans know that they would never be supported if they were in a stand-alone bill. So, they try to sneak it in the back door or hold an obviously necessary bill (like the human trafficking bill) for ransom if the poison pill is not included.
I agree with Gail Collins...a new Senate low.
617
In a parliamentary system such things never happen, either the ruling majority members vote for a bill sponsored by the ruling party or the PM and government resigns if the bill is defeated. All negotiations on the bill happen before bill is placed for vote and NO FREEDOM to vote defying party whip. A multiparty system that forces compromises in governing works better than how the US system is working now.
1
But don't hold your breath - it will go lower. I look to Gail to develop a "
"Senatometer" to chart this descent into irrelevance. A logarithmic scale may be required.
"Senatometer" to chart this descent into irrelevance. A logarithmic scale may be required.
3
Excellent comment.
And, if anyone ever needed proof of the republicans fearing their "appearance" with just about any matter going on in today's Washington, then they just have to 'You Tube' Rick Santorum's preachy questioner yesterday somewhere in red America.
If you haven't seen this 'one' yet, then you're missing out on what makes The USA here in the 21st century rather embarrassing.
And, if anyone ever needed proof of the republicans fearing their "appearance" with just about any matter going on in today's Washington, then they just have to 'You Tube' Rick Santorum's preachy questioner yesterday somewhere in red America.
If you haven't seen this 'one' yet, then you're missing out on what makes The USA here in the 21st century rather embarrassing.
2
It is evident that the Deomocrats were shocked, shocked to find the anti abor4tion sentence in the bill. It seems that they were ready to be shocked after the bill passed and was send on the president Obama. We will never know if someone in the executive brhanch would have spotted the offending sentence and actually mmentioned to the president.
(I wonder if that senatorial aide that kept mum still has a job.}
Kudos to whoever forcred the Deomocrats into action before the bill wqs voted on by the whole senate.
(I wonder if that senatorial aide that kept mum still has a job.}
Kudos to whoever forcred the Deomocrats into action before the bill wqs voted on by the whole senate.
7
The Senate makes a comedy out of attempting comity. So the Republicans would prefer to keep Eric Holder as Attorney General than allow a woman sex-trafficked and sexually victimized from receiving an abortion. Some day reason and pragmatic politics needs to return to the Congress, but the greater good of the nation seems to have little sway with the pot boilers and press release fanatics in Washington who care nothing but scoring political "points" to put in their next campaign commercial.
16
Giuliani must have some ulterior motive for supporting Lynch's confirmation. That somehow he thinks it helps further his right wing Gop causes.Or maybe he see a way for him to win back some support with Blacks, after he was so insulting to Mayor Deblasio during NY's police brutality and bias confrontations. Who knows?
4
Well, when you have a group of Senators such as "Sixty-day" Cotton who is being revered and followed, what could you expect? And an even bigger laugh: a Republican Senator such as Senator Heitcamp saying that she has "faith in the institution". An "institution" is where most of them actually belong, so they could at least meet some poor people such as the ones they are trying to make even poorer. Gail's last sentence is the best of the day...........
13
Maybe the House can alter the former Representative pension rules in light of Schock. If you resign under disgrace, you forfeit your US-taxpayer funded pension. Who else gets a pension after only 5 years anyway?
Also maybe Schock will finally come OUT officially now that he doesn't need to worry about re-election. Calling Log Cabin HQ!!
Also maybe Schock will finally come OUT officially now that he doesn't need to worry about re-election. Calling Log Cabin HQ!!
16
Remarkable.
The republican controlled Senate endorses the war crime of rape as a weapon of war.
Forcing the victims of rape to deliver the offspring of the rapists, taking a page from the playbook of the Janjaweed, Boko Haram and ISIS.
Because, you see, that is god's will.
The republican controlled Senate endorses the war crime of rape as a weapon of war.
Forcing the victims of rape to deliver the offspring of the rapists, taking a page from the playbook of the Janjaweed, Boko Haram and ISIS.
Because, you see, that is god's will.
91
Yes, the Senate is crazy. But what is the point of only helping victims if you can use money from the criminals? It's almost like we all can't be bothered to do it on our own. That bill, even without the abortion stuff, is an example of the moral bankruptcy of our country.
8
"Then someone discovered that it had acquired a clause forbidding the use of money to provide victims with access to abortions."
I suppose we'll never know who was responsible for "the clause,", but If I had to make a guess my first choice would be Tom Cotton. He seems to have a proven talent for this sort of contemptible action.
I suppose we'll never know who was responsible for "the clause,", but If I had to make a guess my first choice would be Tom Cotton. He seems to have a proven talent for this sort of contemptible action.
16
Hey Gail, welcome to politics 101, and yes I know it is a shock to you. Who told us that elections have consequences? Hopefully this trafficking thing is the start of total and complete grid lock for the next two years. Key will be not approving any judges or senior appointments, maybe even Loretta. Government is as its best when it does nothing. Think about it, BO want to make not voting a crime. Not voting is a protected right, or has he forgotten about the First Amendment and freedom of speech. Not voting is a form of speech, and I have 'not spoken' in fifty years. I am never disappointed.
Criminalize? Do you ever think before you type this stuff?
It is funny to see how the idea of more people voting scares the heck out of conservatives.
It is funny to see how the idea of more people voting scares the heck out of conservatives.
10
McConnell must have been spending too much time around Boehner if he thinks his ploy is going to work; the leader and Cornyn will fold sooner rather than later when it becomes quite obvious that what's left of the GOP senate moderate caucus will not support the bill as written. In the interim, a liberated Eric Holder should make as many speeches and take as much action on civil rights matters to irritate as many Republicans as possible, maybe then the leader will listen to Giuliani(!) and give Ms. Lynch her deserved vote on the floor.
Ms. Collins is correct to refer to Aaron Schock as "disgraced" although likely crook might be a better way to describe him. He resigned because he finally understood that he broke the law when he submitted fraudulent mileage reimbursement requests; Schock probably also broke the law when he labeled a private flight as a software purchase and failed to disclose overseas trips, per Politico's reporting. Sadly, one reason he quit is because more conservative opponents were lining up to challenge him in a GOP primary and he had no support from the base to continue fighting. Otherwise he probably would have tried to beat the charges with the help of the hard-right media fog machine.
Ms. Collins is correct to refer to Aaron Schock as "disgraced" although likely crook might be a better way to describe him. He resigned because he finally understood that he broke the law when he submitted fraudulent mileage reimbursement requests; Schock probably also broke the law when he labeled a private flight as a software purchase and failed to disclose overseas trips, per Politico's reporting. Sadly, one reason he quit is because more conservative opponents were lining up to challenge him in a GOP primary and he had no support from the base to continue fighting. Otherwise he probably would have tried to beat the charges with the help of the hard-right media fog machine.
25
I want to comment and I am not generally inarticulate, but this all so mind numbing.
31
Why in heaven's sake is it necessary for the House to produce TWELVE laws against human trafficking? Mrs Collins seems to miss the real story here. US politicians find it probably too embarrassing that, year after year, legislators at Brussels are producing significantly more laws that the US institutions. To catch up with their European rivals, the House loves to vote 70 times against the ACA, even if there is only a snowball's chance in hell to succeed in the Senate.
15
Wow, I keep thinking elementary school kids when I hear about the way the house and senate works. Although really, those kids make better decisions.
Adding abortion to a sex trafficking bill is ridiculous and unnecessary and then to say, we will not vote on your attorney general ( what does she have to do with the bill anyway) until you ratify our bill is even more ludicrous.
The U.S. government must look like a bunch of misfit clowns to the rest of the world.
Adding abortion to a sex trafficking bill is ridiculous and unnecessary and then to say, we will not vote on your attorney general ( what does she have to do with the bill anyway) until you ratify our bill is even more ludicrous.
The U.S. government must look like a bunch of misfit clowns to the rest of the world.
87
Last night I started reading the new Lesley Blanch autobiography, and I got through 112 pages in just over an hour.
There was a day when senators actually read a bill before voting on it. And since bills that make it to the floor are a rare thing indeed these days, I don't think it's too much to hope that senators take their job seriously and spare an hour to inform themselves.
Yet I suppose we should cut them some slack, because it's hard for the poor things to find time to perform the functions they were elected to do when eighty percent of their day is devoted to fundraising, or in the case of Aaron Schock, posing for magazine covers and picking out pheasant pheathers. Or in the case of Chuck Schumer, rehearsing your next off-the-cuff quip for the press in front of a mirror.
In this instance, I'm particularly disgusted with Democrats. Betting that Republicans will junk up a bill with their favorite antipathies has better odds than betting the sun will rise tomorrow. If Democrats truly didn't see this coming, they're even more inept than I thought and we haven't seen the worst yet.
Thankfully we have Gail Collins to dull the pain of even lower lows with an artfully light touch and a good chuckle.
There was a day when senators actually read a bill before voting on it. And since bills that make it to the floor are a rare thing indeed these days, I don't think it's too much to hope that senators take their job seriously and spare an hour to inform themselves.
Yet I suppose we should cut them some slack, because it's hard for the poor things to find time to perform the functions they were elected to do when eighty percent of their day is devoted to fundraising, or in the case of Aaron Schock, posing for magazine covers and picking out pheasant pheathers. Or in the case of Chuck Schumer, rehearsing your next off-the-cuff quip for the press in front of a mirror.
In this instance, I'm particularly disgusted with Democrats. Betting that Republicans will junk up a bill with their favorite antipathies has better odds than betting the sun will rise tomorrow. If Democrats truly didn't see this coming, they're even more inept than I thought and we haven't seen the worst yet.
Thankfully we have Gail Collins to dull the pain of even lower lows with an artfully light touch and a good chuckle.
36
CUTE! “Republicans who can’t lead meet Democrats who can’t read.”
BUT sleaze-bag politics by the Republicans who threw in the Hyde Amendment opposing funding of abortion "sentence" in the sex-trafficking bill DAMNS THAT BILL. We are more than FED UP with Republican OPPOSITION TO WOMEN'S HEALTH and their constantly pushing nasty patriarchal nonsense via their abominable bills.
BUT sleaze-bag politics by the Republicans who threw in the Hyde Amendment opposing funding of abortion "sentence" in the sex-trafficking bill DAMNS THAT BILL. We are more than FED UP with Republican OPPOSITION TO WOMEN'S HEALTH and their constantly pushing nasty patriarchal nonsense via their abominable bills.
90
Spring officially arrives this week, but little sunshine penetrates the gloomy chambers of Congress, where virtual nuclear Winter prevails. We in the non-Congressional universe are cheered by flowering trees; even snow-battered Boston could be graced by blossoms.
Alas, hope does not spring eternal in Washington: Mighty Congress has struck out. There is no hope in Mudville, D.C.: Senate Republicans tarnish our international reputation even further with their nefarious letter to Iran: Senate and House R's compete for the Chicanery of the Week Award, aka the Skunking of America.
And now it's the Season of the Cliffs again. Hope that you aren't a hungry child losing food stamps, an ill American who can't survive losing your Obamacare, or a Senior dreading cuts to Medicare.
We need to develop a new metaphor for legislative dysfunction and public angst; the Capitol Dome Scaffolding provides the perfect image. Let us all push recalcitrant legislators so hard that the Scaffold Climb provides the only escape from our extreme displeasure.
Rivaling flag-pole sitting and other 1920's daredevil stunts, the Scaffold Climb will provide the stage for extreme political posturing. Legislators will hold the high scaffold 'ground' to pass budget cuts and starve the government.
There will be risks: torch and pitchfork-carrying constituents may prevent a hasty retreat. Bring tents, supplies.
Note: remember to fund on-going scaffolding safety standards and Dome restoration.
Alas, hope does not spring eternal in Washington: Mighty Congress has struck out. There is no hope in Mudville, D.C.: Senate Republicans tarnish our international reputation even further with their nefarious letter to Iran: Senate and House R's compete for the Chicanery of the Week Award, aka the Skunking of America.
And now it's the Season of the Cliffs again. Hope that you aren't a hungry child losing food stamps, an ill American who can't survive losing your Obamacare, or a Senior dreading cuts to Medicare.
We need to develop a new metaphor for legislative dysfunction and public angst; the Capitol Dome Scaffolding provides the perfect image. Let us all push recalcitrant legislators so hard that the Scaffold Climb provides the only escape from our extreme displeasure.
Rivaling flag-pole sitting and other 1920's daredevil stunts, the Scaffold Climb will provide the stage for extreme political posturing. Legislators will hold the high scaffold 'ground' to pass budget cuts and starve the government.
There will be risks: torch and pitchfork-carrying constituents may prevent a hasty retreat. Bring tents, supplies.
Note: remember to fund on-going scaffolding safety standards and Dome restoration.
17
It's 100% fair to fight about funding abortions with tax money.
It's 100% foolish, to stick abortion funding into unrelated bills,
so as to doom the bill.
Fight as much as you feel led to, but fight in a canny, open,
fair way. Come on, Congress; you can still do a bit better than this!
It's 100% foolish, to stick abortion funding into unrelated bills,
so as to doom the bill.
Fight as much as you feel led to, but fight in a canny, open,
fair way. Come on, Congress; you can still do a bit better than this!
9
'It's 100% fair to fight about funding abortions with tax money.'
True words spoken by someone who will never, ever be pregnant, accidentally or otherwise.
True words spoken by someone who will never, ever be pregnant, accidentally or otherwise.
2
Forgive my ignorance but I thought that human trafficking was already illegal. Why do we need yet-another law? Could it be that the need for another law is simple politics to create a bill that the Democrats will refuse to pass and the Republicans will use to pillory Democrats in the 2016 federal elections?
16
Voting for legislation shouldn't be about deception, even if the deceived could be blamed for their own insufficient carefulness. Such a practice, it seems to me, results in more distrust, and I am guessing that the "old" ways of crafting legislation and rustling up support among strange bedfellows relied on some kind of trust -- the kind lying behind the scenario we are often reminded of, of Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan (I know, Reagan was president, not a legislator) sharing a social moment, or of Senators Hatch and Kennedy being friends.
10
In the most recent Gallup findings, 75% of Americans disapprove of the Congress and our government was named as the #1 problem (far more mentions than the economy, unemployment, healthcare, terrorism or any other issue.)
But voters aren't really important in our system anymore and voters know it.
Perhaps this is related to the fact that in the 2014 mid-terms, only 36% of eligible voters turned out. Many are disgusted, disappointed, distrustful. Some have been intentionally disenfranchised by voter suppression laws, which the Supreme Court seems to say is "OK" given the knife they thrust into the heart of the Voting Rights Act, passed just a few months after the violence at Selma 50 years ago.
Outcomes in our Congress are dictated by a tiny number of very wealthy donors who tell the recipients (our ''representatives'') of their funds how to vote. Little of this has anything to do with most people other than the continuing effort to shrink spending through any means fair or foul to reduce taxes on the rich. It is important to realize that gridlock is very beneficial to those at the top, who would never get the sweet deals they have today if our system were more truly representative.
But it's not.
But voters aren't really important in our system anymore and voters know it.
Perhaps this is related to the fact that in the 2014 mid-terms, only 36% of eligible voters turned out. Many are disgusted, disappointed, distrustful. Some have been intentionally disenfranchised by voter suppression laws, which the Supreme Court seems to say is "OK" given the knife they thrust into the heart of the Voting Rights Act, passed just a few months after the violence at Selma 50 years ago.
Outcomes in our Congress are dictated by a tiny number of very wealthy donors who tell the recipients (our ''representatives'') of their funds how to vote. Little of this has anything to do with most people other than the continuing effort to shrink spending through any means fair or foul to reduce taxes on the rich. It is important to realize that gridlock is very beneficial to those at the top, who would never get the sweet deals they have today if our system were more truly representative.
But it's not.
144
"Voters aren't really important in our system anymore and voters know it."
I don't argue the truth of this statement; nevertheless I urge everyone with concerns about legislation and congressional actions to let their elected officials know.
Unfortunately, I am one of John Cornyn's constituents, but I am also becoming one of his frequent correspondents.
I don't argue the truth of this statement; nevertheless I urge everyone with concerns about legislation and congressional actions to let their elected officials know.
Unfortunately, I am one of John Cornyn's constituents, but I am also becoming one of his frequent correspondents.
2
It's part of GOP strategy to make voters so disgusted with Congress, they'll just ignore what's going on and stay home on election day. It's working.
2
but the turtle, the tan man, trey - nice haircut - gowdy and the rest will tell us "the American people have a right to know," or "the American people have spoken and this is what they want us to do!" honestly, why lie any longer about this? we have no voice or elected officials are only there to serve the interests of the masters, and when a sitting president can be subjected to hate, intolerance and outright disrespect, like no other ever before, it tell us something about who we are and where this country is headed.
2
Rather than re-read the entire bill every time it moves forward, the procedure is to provide a list of changes. So, someone slipped in the change and then hid it by failing to list it.
The lesson is that Democrats should not trust the Republicans, and should use "compare documents" software to catch any hidden adulterations of each bill.
The lesson is that Democrats should not trust the Republicans, and should use "compare documents" software to catch any hidden adulterations of each bill.
435
So...who is the mysterious Someone that inserted the language?
The Senate has all of the courage of the high schoolers who anonymously "slut-shame."
I think one partial answer to the problems in the Senate would be to eliminate the anonymity that allows language to be "mysteriously" amended. Or that allows the dreaded "anonymous hold" on nominees for the executive and judiciary.
If it is worth doing, it is worth owning. And worth the courage of standing up for your convictions. If legislators had to own their actions, it just might make for better law-making.
The Senate has all of the courage of the high schoolers who anonymously "slut-shame."
I think one partial answer to the problems in the Senate would be to eliminate the anonymity that allows language to be "mysteriously" amended. Or that allows the dreaded "anonymous hold" on nominees for the executive and judiciary.
If it is worth doing, it is worth owning. And worth the courage of standing up for your convictions. If legislators had to own their actions, it just might make for better law-making.
168
“Republicans who can’t lead meet Democrats who can’t read.” says a lot about the Senate. Enough already. Remove the one sentence about abortion and pass the bill. Cornyn is wrong as usual.
238
The point, Tom, is either Cornyn is fibbing when he claims he was not aware of the anti-abortion sentence or he was as negligent as the Democrats. Cornyn and his Republican colleagues now find themselves facing a choice between admitting they are sneaky or, worse, admitting they are wrong. Republicans, unlike Democrats, are genetically incapable of admitting a mistake.
5
When a system has developed that favors incumbents and said incumbents are ignorant, self-interested actors posing as politicians, we have a perfect positive feed-back loop. The result will be that America will spend the next several years circling the drain before its political class, only concerned about posturing and its own well-being, reduces the country to a paralyzed tower of Babel. That the GOP are the prime movers of this chaos is certain, equally certain is the uselessness of pointing fingers. It's a tough show to keep on watching!
243
Frankly, Jack, the only remedy I can thin k of now is trickle down--trickle down common sense, trickle down logic. There must be decent Republicans somewhere who can be convinced of the need to re-educate some of the misdirected supporters of the current GOP.
2
Yes, elections have consequences. Hopefully, the next election will be consequential enough to change things.
In a larger sense, nothing substantial will change until enough voters realize that the unholy combination of neoconservative foreign and neoliberal domestic politics has been nothing but a complete disaster for our nation.
Until we elect representatives more in line with the policies which have worked in the past, we can only expect more gridlock in D.C.
In a larger sense, nothing substantial will change until enough voters realize that the unholy combination of neoconservative foreign and neoliberal domestic politics has been nothing but a complete disaster for our nation.
Until we elect representatives more in line with the policies which have worked in the past, we can only expect more gridlock in D.C.
117
I have been an Election Judge for years here in MD. Finally, there are questions being asked about electronic voting and fraud. Why it has taken so long says a lot about who controls the U.S. Election results cannot be checked now with accuracy, because the records are not kept. The excuses made defy common sense. Big Money calls all the shots now. Why is something so basic not being investigated?
13
Uh-huh. The only way America can win, apparently, is if enough liberals are elected that they overwhelm non-liberal opposition. That this country has supported different ideologies yet still moved forward through compromise since its founding -- with the only exception being on one issue resulting in our civil war -- really doesn't mean anything.
Consider, Kevin, that if you really need that kind of electoral weight to get your way, maybe your way is too extreme for the vast majority of Americans who see no perch for compromise with you on which they can rest.
If that's the case, you'll never capture a majority again.
Consider, Kevin, that if you really need that kind of electoral weight to get your way, maybe your way is too extreme for the vast majority of Americans who see no perch for compromise with you on which they can rest.
If that's the case, you'll never capture a majority again.
Neoliberal? Today's elected Dems are far more centrist than in days of yore.
3
I am always puzzled by these mysterious introductions into bills. Who does it? Actually, who permits it. I doubt that staff members put these poison exclusions on their own. Now, I have a simple suggestion: have all bills scanned and then do a search of key words, like abortion, tax-cuts, etc. All the words that relate to present obsessions of the right. It may serve to uncover the unauthorized and illegal changes that those conservatives lovers of the democratic process, I am sure, would want to delete.
298
And highlight any changes and inserts in red.
49
My understanding is that the word "abortion" isn't included, just a reference to another piece of legislation, listed by it's number. It wasn't listed in the changes to the bill which was being renewed.
Just like a contract being renewed, they will say: same legislation, with the following changes: x,y,z. Someone lied by not including it in the list of changes, then tried to further cover it up by listing it as a stipulation to another numbered document, without using a verbal description.
Sneaky and willfully dishonest.
Just like a contract being renewed, they will say: same legislation, with the following changes: x,y,z. Someone lied by not including it in the list of changes, then tried to further cover it up by listing it as a stipulation to another numbered document, without using a verbal description.
Sneaky and willfully dishonest.
30
Not only sneaking and dishonest, it should be viewed as a criminal attempt at circumventing the proper democratic process. It is an illegal assumption of the duties of an elected official.
10
The government of the United States is in a crisis that is unprecedented in the history of this great nation. It has recently come to the attention of legislators that Republicans and Democrats think differently about a lot of things. Because these differences are clearly non-negotiable, there's really nothing that can be done.
This has never happened before. Ever since our country was founded each side of the aisle has always gotten exactly what it wanted, and government proceeded smoothly and efficiently. Now, for some unknown reason, there is conflict. The only course is for everyone to throw up their hands, wave them wildly, and run in circles. Think of day-care where the toddlers didn't get nap time and a cookie, and you'll get a rough idea of what it looks like.
Little things like helping undo the damage done to people brutalized and abused by sex-traffickers is small potatoes compared to the crisis of governance in the Senate. This is clearly a horse of a difference color, possibly provoked by the presence of a president of a different color. It guarantees that nothing will get done, and there's nothing anyone can do about it.
So, goodbye, America! You had a great run, but nothing lasts forever. Be sure to turn off the lights on your way out.
This has never happened before. Ever since our country was founded each side of the aisle has always gotten exactly what it wanted, and government proceeded smoothly and efficiently. Now, for some unknown reason, there is conflict. The only course is for everyone to throw up their hands, wave them wildly, and run in circles. Think of day-care where the toddlers didn't get nap time and a cookie, and you'll get a rough idea of what it looks like.
Little things like helping undo the damage done to people brutalized and abused by sex-traffickers is small potatoes compared to the crisis of governance in the Senate. This is clearly a horse of a difference color, possibly provoked by the presence of a president of a different color. It guarantees that nothing will get done, and there's nothing anyone can do about it.
So, goodbye, America! You had a great run, but nothing lasts forever. Be sure to turn off the lights on your way out.
550
Good post. "For some unknown reason...? Not known to all, but not unknowable. It began at least as long ago as Carter's presidency. He was demonized unconscionably. And with him, all Democrats. Then came Reagan, Gingrich, Norquist, Limbaugh, and Fox. Nasty bitterness reigned supreme. Few GOP supporters have ever heard a logical political argument. B to C to D may be logical, but the starter, A, is usually wrong. Now, that starter A, is simply "Obama." Case closed!
All the evils of the world are attributed to "Liberal Democrats." It is the duty of every "decent American" to oppose them. And if Congress folk don't do that, they'll be primaried.
All the evils of the world are attributed to "Liberal Democrats." It is the duty of every "decent American" to oppose them. And if Congress folk don't do that, they'll be primaried.
22
The Republicans have either failed to notice - and they are so self-centered it is little wonder - or they do not care that American influence in the world is being permanently destroyed by their actions. Other nations are deciding that we are no longer capable of leading because we are enmeshed in a bitter internecine war.
In the meantime, things get done by others and history moves on. Yesterday NPR reported that the international Asian infrastructure bank that China is creating - and that this country did not want to happen - had England sign on quickly followed by France, Germany and Italy. Would this have happened - could this have happened - twenty years ago? This country, busy Tweeting and taking selfies, hardly noticed.
In the meantime, things get done by others and history moves on. Yesterday NPR reported that the international Asian infrastructure bank that China is creating - and that this country did not want to happen - had England sign on quickly followed by France, Germany and Italy. Would this have happened - could this have happened - twenty years ago? This country, busy Tweeting and taking selfies, hardly noticed.
16
Unprecedented in your time maybe but certainly not in the country's history. The battles between Hamilton, Burr, and Jefferson were vile affairs as was the partisanship and corruption immediately after the civil war. This country has a long and sad history of political partisanship and disgusting behavior by elected officials. Sadly, this is nothing new. So much for the Shining City on the Hill.
6
The GOP members of the senate should surprise no one, as they are simply acting true to form. When 46 senators start interfering in diplomacy, it is clear to me, that they have moved from being prima donnas to being destructive of our government. That McConnell joined that group, and that only seven Republican senators did not sign the letter,
I would add that tying both anti-abortion and delaying of the appointment of the first woman attorney general comes across as "stupid," about women, which the GOP supposedly had sworn off.
I would add that tying both anti-abortion and delaying of the appointment of the first woman attorney general comes across as "stupid," about women, which the GOP supposedly had sworn off.
630
Remember Janet Reno?
4
Janet Reno was the first woman attorney general. Though I agree that holding up her appointment is stupid. The GOP must be getting used to Eric Holder and want him to stick around.
9
Unfortunately, Arthur, this is not traditional "form." Republicans once were logical, once were gentlemen. These two qualities have been outlawed from the GOP.
11
What Gail describes is a Senate becoming more like the GOPer ' rabid ferrets ' of the House - we should not be surprised at the predictable results.
Retracing recent history, 46 GOP'er Senators, including McConnell, Cornyn, McCain signed onto an open letter this month aligning themselves with Iran's hard-liners in an attempt to derail active negotiations by this country with Iran, as admitted by the freshman Senator who composed the letter.
And since then, that freshman has now made his first speech in the Senate, invoking Hitler within the first 60 seconds:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/16/tom-cotton-hitler-senate-speech...
GOP'er leaders aren't doing enough to keep the ' rabid ferret ' mentality from overtaking the Senate, which will often mean no legislation is better than bad legislation, and exposes GOP'ers as incapable of leading, since leadership requires negotiation and compromise.
In the heavy-turnout presidential election year 2016, GOP'ers will have to defend 24 Senate seats while Dems will only be defending 10 seats; all the Dems have to do is pick off 5 reprobate banana republican Senators :)
Retracing recent history, 46 GOP'er Senators, including McConnell, Cornyn, McCain signed onto an open letter this month aligning themselves with Iran's hard-liners in an attempt to derail active negotiations by this country with Iran, as admitted by the freshman Senator who composed the letter.
And since then, that freshman has now made his first speech in the Senate, invoking Hitler within the first 60 seconds:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/16/tom-cotton-hitler-senate-speech...
GOP'er leaders aren't doing enough to keep the ' rabid ferret ' mentality from overtaking the Senate, which will often mean no legislation is better than bad legislation, and exposes GOP'ers as incapable of leading, since leadership requires negotiation and compromise.
In the heavy-turnout presidential election year 2016, GOP'ers will have to defend 24 Senate seats while Dems will only be defending 10 seats; all the Dems have to do is pick off 5 reprobate banana republican Senators :)
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To get a realistic perspective on this, step back and see that the GOP's move is to appeal for support further to the right while the Democrats are holding the center. The Republican position might shore up their hardliners for now, but come election time, they will have a hard time squeezing any more juice out of their lemon in getting more votes in the Presidential election.
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I like your optimism, but the reality is the senate seats (just as every elected office) are up for sale more now, thanks to the Roberts court, than ever before in our history. You and I each have a voice and a vote, but we are no match for the Koch brothers' voice amplified a billion decibels and the votes they manipulate with their paid propaganda.
Republicans are sent to office by people who hate our government and want to kill it. Independents vote for Republicans because they are the target of Koch brothers money.
Republicans are sent to office by people who hate our government and want to kill it. Independents vote for Republicans because they are the target of Koch brothers money.
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