Discussion: The DEMOCRATIC Party

[StorminNorman]

I would prefer to see her and her husband out of American government.

 

[Marx]

GREENE GIVES FIRST MAJOR CAMPAIGN SPEECH
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/19/alvin-greene-takes-center-stage/?fbid=SXewBnNESLK

 

[Schlosser85]

7 minutes?

and full of profound statements like "our children need more education", after every single one of which he stops and looks around until the audience starts applauding.

Greene is a joke.

 

[Alastor]

Well, so is Demint. Screwed either way.

 

[Marx]

REPRESENTATIVE RANGEL TO APPEAR BEFORE ETHICS COMMITTEE
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.co...ce-ethics-committee-hearing/?fbid=eCdn9qb6JmQ

 

[Kelly]

This should be interesting...

 

[Dr. Evil]

REPRESENTATIVE RANGEL TO APPEAR BEFORE ETHICS COMMITTEE
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.co...ce-ethics-committee-hearing/?fbid=eCdn9qb6JmQ

Maybe it's just me, but he's what Al Sharpton will look like in 20 years.

 

[Paradoxium]

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-brief...blicans-press-biden-to-meet-with-alvin-greene

"In South Carolina, Dem Senate candidate Alvin Greene has stimulus proposal of his own — will Joe Biden listen?" the RNC wrote, referring to Greene's proposal to manufacture action figures of himself to boost the economy.

At issue is Greene's odd candidacy. He is an unemployed military veteran who won the primary election despite never having campaigned, and his nascent candidacy has been marked by a series of bizarre moments, the latest being a rap song.

 

[DACrowe]

I didn't know where to file this, so I created a new thread.





I thought this was an amazing piece of grandstanding that felt genuine and honest (if the situation of how we got here is not completely straight and narrow).

The James Zadroga 9/11 First Responders Bill (named after a police officer who was a First Responder that died from toxins he breathed in at Ground Zero) is a bill that provides free, subsidized health care to 9/11 survivors, First Responders and those who worked on cleaning up the mess at Ground Zero. This included annual check-ups and treatment for 9/11-caused illnesses and disorders.

The bill should be very popular but it has two aspects that are not clearly bipartisan.

1) The bill would apply to some illegals who were First Responders.

2) To offset its near $7 billion cost, it is being paid for by an increase of the corporate tax (which should be going up).

Some Dems didn't want to be caught voting for something that would give illegals (even First Responders) health care. Republicans simply didn't want to vote for it because it would be a victory for Democrats and anything that is seen as a burden on the long-suffering, ostracized corporations of our country should be stopped.

So, to prevent the Republicans from gutting the bill in amendments to take out those two provisions (which would make this bill unpaid for and dead meat in an election year with these deficits), the Dems put it through without amendments, requiring a 2/3 vote. This gave Republicans an excuse to vote against it. Rep. Pete King of New York voted for the bill, but used his time to tell his colleagues not from NY to vote against it, due to not being allowed to amend the bill.

Rep. Weiner of NYC flipped his **** and called them on the hypocrisy of hiding behind procedure for political posturing while throwing 9/11 victims and First Responders under the bus. And it was glorious, if ultimately ineffective. If only the Dems were more passionately vocal on the Republicans' duplicitious tactics as seen above.

On a related note, Republicans voted against tax cuts for small businesses today in the Senate...for no apparent reason whatsoever, really.

 

[StorminNorman]

Unless there is something I am missing, the Republicans lack of support for the small business bill destroys my (necessary) optimism about a more GOP powered Washington.

 

[StorminNorman]

And though my own ignorance prevents a position on the 9/11 bill, I do applaud Weiner's actions on calling BS, BS.

 

[Heretic]

I've met many and participated in some first responder charity events. These people need immediate help. I am generally opposed to tax increases (we could try...I dont know...cutting spending in other areas for once...) but I applaud Weiner for his speech. The Republicans can bite me on this one.

 

[voyzovrezon]

I'd say I love Weiner, but that sounds too dirty. I'll just say "Go Anthony!!"

 

[hippie_hunter]

I'd say I love Weiner, but that sounds too dirty.

No it doesn't

 

[Cosmic]

"The gentleman will SIT! The gentleman is CORRECT in sitting!"

 

[Superman]

That was a thing of beauty. I wish we had more in DC that would tell it like it is like that.

The GOP should be ashamed, I know they're not but they should be.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

Nice to see a politician with balls even if his rant came across as immature at times. However, this bill shouldn't benefit illegal immigrants. People who are not citizens of our country are not entitled to any privileges.

 

[VampElvis]

The man gets props from me for his testicular fortitude.

 

[hippie_hunter]

The man gets props from me for his testicular fortitude.

Yeah, even if you disagree politically for the man, he deserves props for calling what he sees as ********, ********.

 

[dnno1]

Nice to see a politician with balls even if his rant came across as immature at times. However, this bill shouldn't benefit illegal immigrants. People who are not citizens of our country are not entitled to any privileges.

I disagree. The way the federal laws are set in this country right now, everyone is entitle to some type of emergency care.

 

[Franklin Richards]

"You helped us during our darkest hour. Thank you. Now die."

 

[Superman]

"You helped us during our darkest hour. Thank you. Now die."

That's pretty much what the GOP is saying.

If any of these people were First Responders and helped on 9/11 or in the clean up after and got sick over it, They deserve our help, Illegal or not.

 

[DACrowe]

The bill actually did have some GOP support, about 30-40 of the 100+ Republicans in the House voted for it. But due to the controversial amendments (which the GOP would take out, effectively killing the bill, if given the chance) it was put out cold on the floor and needs a 2/3 vote.

I really don't get it. If the Republicans can still retake the House and make major inroads in the Senate despite doing such hypocritical things or killing bills that most people would consider genuinely good ideas, I suppose more power to them. But one would think everything they're killing in the Senate (and this) would come back to bite them in the rear end.

1) 9/11 Bill failed in the House.

2) Tax cuts for small businesses failed in the Senate along party lines (plus Ben Nelson).

3) The Dems are trying to maintain the Bush tax cuts (which I disagree with over 10 years, but over 2-3, I owuld support) for the Middle and Lower Classes, but unless the Tax Cuts are made permanent for the top 2%, the GOP will filibuster any bill on the matter and let the taxes go up on everyone if the rich suffer a 4% tax increase.

4) Oil regulation (seriously, OIL REGULATION OVER BP) which passed the House with bipartisan support has a good chance of failing in the Senate because thus far the Republicans are in lock-stop to defend BP, Exxon, etc. from new offshore drilling regulations, including Democratic Senators Mary Landrieu and Begich who refuse to vote for the bill unless it decreases the unlimited liability gap (unknown as to where). SERIOUSLY?!?! THE GOP AND LA DEMS WANT TO BE THE DEFENDERS OF BP?!

But I guess if it works. Good for them? Bad for us, though.

 

[Nivek]

Nice to see a politician with balls even if his rant came across as immature at times. However, this bill shouldn't benefit illegal immigrants. People who are not citizens of our country are not entitled to any privileges.

Immature? I'm sure there are millions of voters in NYC that feel the same way. Voting no on a bill to help those who helped selflessly on 9/11 is just gutless, disgusting, and shows how hollow all the 9/11 rhetoric is for these wastes of life handling our tax dollars, being payed on our dime. Illegals or not, they were there, they risked their health & lives those dark days, and this is how you want to thank them? And this is being payed by taxing people who cheat on corporate taxes?



But a bill to allow bankrupt people to keep their guns and rifles passes by a 2/3rd margin in the same week. Just absolutely disgusting and disheartening.

 

[Kelly]

Does anyone have a link to the bill? I would like to know what all is in it...