Comments (44)

Sgt Dan wrote on January 3, 2007 2:22 PM:

The GOP strategy seems obvious. They are going to try to prevent anything meaningful from coming out of the legislature and blame it on the Dem's partisanship. It's not about fairness, it's about positioning themselves for 2008.

wlgriffi wrote on January 3, 2007 2:22 PM:

LOL!!! So they prove,yet again,THEY HAVE NO SHAME!!!!

Aaron G. Stock wrote on January 3, 2007 2:38 PM:

I am giving up my search on finding instances where Roy Blunt was directly involved in suppressing or preventing full "debate [of] policy alternatives" and "open, honest discussion of the issues". Can anyone help here?

Did he have direct control of or votes regarding scheduling for any Democratic hearings or floor time? Are there quotes where, though without direct influence on such matters, he supported the Republican efforts to marginalize Democratic influence?

Jimmmm wrote on January 3, 2007 2:41 PM:

Washington, D.C. has just enacted a smoking ban, yet somehow Nancy Pelosi and her liberal colleagues have found a way to lock themselves in a smoky backroom in the Capitol to make deals for the next two years," Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) added.

Yeah, "somehow," like by winning the House in a landslide...

bakho wrote on January 3, 2007 2:42 PM:

Here is the link to Pelosi website that contains the actual
.

The GOP and pundits are lying about what the document actually says.

bakho wrote on January 3, 2007 2:44 PM:

bad code

here is the URL:

http://democraticleader.house.gov/press/releases.cfm?pressReleaseID=622

The full text of the Minority Bill of Rights follows:

Here, the People Rule

A Minority Bill of Rights for the House of Representatives

June 23, 2004

"All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle: that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression."

--Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1801.

The Constitution begins with the simple but revolutionary phrase "We the people," which announced to the world that here, the people rule. To speak for the people, the Constitution gives the greatest responsibility to the House of Representatives: Members are to be elected every two years, and no Member may be appointed to office.

Today in the House of Representatives, however, the voices of nearly half of the people have been silenced, and the marketplace of ideas has been effectively closed. Too often, incivility and the heavy hand of the majority have substituted for thoughtful debate.

Respectful of both the wishes of the Founders, and the expectations of the American people, we offer the following principles for restoring democracy in the "People’s House," guaranteeing that the voices of the people are heard.

I. Bipartisan Administration of the House

There should be regular consultations among the elected leaders of both parties to discuss scheduling, administration and operations of the House.

- The House should have a predictable, professional, family-friendly schedule that allows the legislative process to proceed in a manner that ensures timely and deliberate dispensation of the work of the Congress.

- Similar, regular meetings between Chairs and Ranking Members of committees, and staffs should be held.

- The minority should control at least one-third of committee budgets and office space.

II. Regular Order for Legislation

The legislative process in the House should return to a more regular democratic order at every level.

- Bills should be developed following full hearings, open subcommittee and committee markups, with appropriate referrals to other committees. Members should have at least 24 hours to examine a bill prior to consideration at the subcommittee level.

- Bills should generally come to the floor under a procedure that allows open, full, and fair debate consisting of a full amendment process that grants the minority the right to offer its alternatives, including a substitute.

- Members should have at least 24 hours to examine bill and conference report text prior to floor consideration. Rules governing floor debate must be reported before 10 p.m. for a bill to be considered the following day.

- Floor votes should be completed within 15 minutes, with the customary 2-minute extension to accommodate Members’ ability to get to the House Chamber to cast their vote. No vote shall be held open in order to manipulate the outcome.

- House-Senate conference committees should hold regular meetings (at least weekly) of all conference committee Members. All duly-appointed conferees shall be informed of the schedule of conference committee activities in a timely manner, and given ample opportunity for input and debate as decisions are made toward final bill language.

- The Suspension Calendar should be restricted to non-controversial legislation, with minority-authored legislation scheduled in relation to the party ratio in the House.

Jeff wrote on January 3, 2007 2:47 PM:

The modern Republicans are nothing more than a bunch of sniveling crybabies. "Mommy, that bad Gerald Ford said mean words about the President two years ago!" "Daddy, those Democrats have all the power and they won't share with me!" It's enough to make a grown Republican wet his Depends.

In a sane society, somebody would change the GOP's diapers and put a pacifier in its mouth so the adults could get on with the business of running the country.

But not in this society, and certainly not with our victim mentality. No, we have dumbasses like David Brooks and Chris Matthews who pick up the poopy smelling GOP baby and coddle it. First its bullshit like, "The bad man who said the mean words is dead now and he can't hurt anybody else" causing the baby's pout to turn into a smile. And then, "Those nasty, partisan Democrats will never win another election so long as you live, you cute lil thing you" as Matthews tickles GOP Baby's nose and stares into its demonic eyes unaware, once again, that he's been hypnotized.

bakho wrote on January 3, 2007 2:47 PM:

See. This is all just GOP BS. Minority Bill of Rights is a return to process, not carte blanche to disrupt Congress by offering endless amendments and stalling legislation.

There is first 100 h in no way violates the Minority Rights. These people are being partisan jerks.

Legalize wrote on January 3, 2007 2:52 PM:

The thing is, the Dems don't have to perpetrate any backroom dealings. Their agenda (or at least the agenda that they have publicly laid out) has been roundly accepted by a solid majority of the public; they trounced the GOP in November; Bush is a political non-entity; and the GOP has zero record upon which it wants to compare to Democratic handling of the Congress, or anything else for that matter.

Dems: be fair; be transparent; but be MERCILESS in fighting for our ideals. There is no credible opposition, no matter how loudly it appears to be collectively barking. The MSM is busy with Ford, and the radical right moron-o-sphere and talk radio are wetting themselves over pictures of Kerry, stupid videos of Danny Bonaduce, and the alleged phantom policeman.

You have a two year window to accomplish the agenda of your choosing. Don't blow it, and don't duck when the wingnuts hurl their feces at you.

Jan wrote on January 3, 2007 2:54 PM:

These people just crack me up. Yes, there is OBVIOUSLY such a thing as "irony deafness."

I think what the GOP has not yet realized is, the American people have heard all they care to hear from Republicans.
NO ONE IS LISTENING TO YOUR WHINING.
Get use to it, especially if you're just going to whine for the next two years about being treated the way you treated others for the last twelve years.

Here are the "backroom deals" we Democrats made with the American electorate:
-bringing our troops home from Iraq
-hiking the minimum wage
-rolling back Big Oil corporate welfare
-funding stemcell research
-negotiating with Big Pharmacutials over medicine for seniors

Aaron G. Stock wrote on January 3, 2007 3:14 PM:

OK, I found this....
http://www.davidsirota.com/2005/09/blunts-record-shows-hes-as-corrupt-as.html

But the issue of lack of Democratic (or other) debate appears in only a few of the items, where Blunt inserted provisions into bills (and also perhaps where Blunt got (only?) Republican congresspeople to vote for a corporate tax cut bill).

ShawnHarmon wrote on January 3, 2007 3:14 PM:

There is a certain ring to their allegations.

http://www.e-merges.com

Don wrote on January 3, 2007 3:58 PM:

This is what I will never understand about the Washington press: Why is this silliness indulged.

Why doesn’t someone ask any one of these folks –preferable on camera—a few simple questions like,

"Congressman, why should the Democrats treat the GOP any differently than the GOP has treated the last 12 years?"

"In the last Congress the Democratic minority was not allowed to bring any bills to the floor not supported by a majority of the GOP or offer any amendments to bills, etc [a little preparation and the question could read like an indictment]. Why should those rules now change and where were you 2 years ago when these rules were enacted against the minority?”

"Isn’t your new found concern for the minority hypocritical?"

These questions may be pointed but are very fair. Why do so many Pols get a free pass now?

aqualung wrote on January 3, 2007 5:02 PM:

Remember the "Elections have consequences" rhetoric of the Right. Throw it back at 'em.

Jason wrote on January 3, 2007 6:27 PM:

I see only one question of substance: Is the behavior of Democrats today consistent or inconsistent with the behavior of either party prior to the 108th Congress?

If it isn't, then some attention needs to be drawn and some changes made. The Democrats should expect their feet held to the fire to operate in the open and honest matter they've been promising. Were they to prove themselves no better than the Republicans they just ousted, I wonder if the damage caused to the republic could ever be repaired.

If it is, then they ought to ship to every Republican and pundit who makes these claims falsely, a new mug with "STFU" emblazoned on the side.

david in burbank wrote on January 3, 2007 7:00 PM:

what a bunch of babies

justadood wrote on January 3, 2007 7:16 PM:

small note to correct posting: Pelosi is noted in the posting as (R-CA), when in fact she's (D-CA).

Just a niggling correction, but I'm sure she'd appreciate not being *too* closely associated with that gang of criminals

Chabuka wrote on January 3, 2007 8:41 PM:

Hey...remember the ugly black spider, Cheney? what was his response to Pat Leahy..oh yeah I remember...Go Fuck Yourself...same goes for you GOP cry baby, ass holes....Go Fuck Yourselves

r flanagan wrote on January 3, 2007 9:29 PM:

What goes around , comes around.

lower tiberius wrote on January 4, 2007 6:21 AM:

they ran the united states govenment like a pack of racketeering dogs. earmarks for campaign contributions laundered through phoney prop non-profits. Hookers cigars and single malt scotch, limo service, and expensive trips to pacific paradise destinations where the 15 year olds are meat market merchandise between shifts at the athletic clothes outfit manufacturers sweatshops and wonderland golf outtings to scotland, herzgovia, russia, greece. Bribe list menus and mansions for yachts for development property. domestic duck hunts with supreme court justices designed to arrange for rulings and cover-ups. grandstand conman connivance to the dummy moral issues and family appeal while wife pimping and page molesting candidates supplied extra cash to their national elctorial committees in exchange for a blind eye and ethics obfuscation. Thats the little guys ... this keyboard doesnt have enough symbols to begin to list the impropriety of the leaders of this truly criminal administration but some notable transgressions would be, document forgery, revealing active intelligence agents identity, obstruction of a lawful federal investigation, no bid,no work, no matter intelligence and interior department resource contracts, election fraud in all shades and colors, favoritism in appointments to people completely unqualified ... whew ... this could go on for days and it's a very slim shard of the broken government the Democrats will have to sweep up and try to reassemble. I would jail the crooks, not listen to their whining.

lower tiberius wrote on January 4, 2007 6:38 AM:

one more thing about the micro-thin sample of the criminality listed above ... they are not one little bit sorry ...and not one of them would step out of line and demand as their elected position mandates that these free wheeling traitors be indicated, censored and fired. The vice president of the united states audibly shouted the most perverse profanity in the middle of the senate for no other reason beyond partisan rage. this isnt representation or leadership, this is social decay.

AuntieM wrote on January 4, 2007 10:43 AM:

The GOP will fight every bill brought before the house.
The GOP will take credit for every bill passed.
The GOP will blame the Democrats for every bill passed.
The GOP will see no inconsistency in this.

3reddogs wrote on January 4, 2007 11:10 AM:

Yes, there's plenty of irony in the Republican whining going on but, in reality, haven't all of these agenda items already been "debated" over and over during the last 6 years? Granted, some items got a LOT more debate than others before the GOP reached across the aisle and SLAPPED their Democratic counterparts in the face but the point is, they had 6 long years to pass the kind of legislation we've been promised by the Dems and they didn't. Many Republicans are actually in favor of increased federal funding for embryonic stem cell research so what's left to debate? Most Republicans have fought an increase in the minimum wage tooth and nail. Unless you've changed your mind about it, what's left to debate? In other words, we the people would like for you clowns to stop your whining, shut the hell up, and let the Democrats get on with the legislation that they've promised us. (And if you choose to vote against any or all of the 100 hours agenda items, may your sorry asses get voted out of office in '08 or '10.)

zk0sm0 wrote on January 4, 2007 3:42 PM:

are the republicans now afraid of straight up or down votes?

SouthernYankee wrote on January 5, 2007 2:17 AM:

Payback is a bitch, huh? Go get them Nancy. Do what we the people want in the first 100 hrs. After that stop King George from sending more troops to Iraq as a stepping stone to Iran.

jim wrote on January 11, 2007 12:08 PM:

Too bad Nancy can't do anything without the President signing it into law.

The first 100 hrs will result in nothing getting done because the man in the big chair will not sign any of it into law.

More talk, less action by the Dems. No Veto proof majority. They pass these bills knowing full well the President will veto them. I think the dems actually want the PResidential veto because it may help them gain the Whitehouse in 08.

Rest assured if the dems get the Whitehouse in 08 none of these bills will come up again.

This is all hollywood, errrr I mean politics.

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