Last week, amid all the hoopla of welcoming new members, and while congress was saying they didn't have time to pass more than a partial aid package to victims of Hurricane Sandy, they did find time to extend a tax break to owners of auto racetracks which will primarily benefit Nascar.
what eye thynk: What happened to those campaign promises to fix the deficit and balance the budget by closing all those tax break loopholes? Are we really supposed to believe that Nascar will go out of business if forced to pay its full and fair tax burden?
At the same time, Congress struggled to pass a partial, (and shamefully overdue), aid package for New York and New Jersey. Republicans are calling for equal spending cuts to cover any additional aid for Hurricane Sandy victims.
I'm sure that there are more than a few Nascar fans among those made homeless by Hurricane Sandy; but, given the choice between funding to rebuild their homes or financing their favorite sport, their choice for priority status would seem plain.
If only Congress could see as clearly.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Monday, January 7, 2013
January 7 - Monday Quote
Personally, I like to save my genius moment for the end of the year...gives me something to look forward to.
monday quote: Everyone is a genius at least once a year. The real geniuses simply have their bright ideas closer together. (Georg C. Lichtenberg, scientist, 1742-1799)
monday quote: Everyone is a genius at least once a year. The real geniuses simply have their bright ideas closer together. (Georg C. Lichtenberg, scientist, 1742-1799)
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Quick Fact(s) - Not Everyone Votes for Boehner and Republicans Want Their Leaders to be More Confrontational
1. John Boehner was re-elected to serve as Speaker of the House this week by a vote of 220 to 192. He needed the final votes to get the win after 12 Republicans refused to vote for him. Ted Yoho of Florida said he voted for Mr. Cantor to “send a statement”. Steve Stockman of Texas voted “present” rather than make a commitment to anyone and Mick Mulvaney of So. Carolina stood in the back of the House chamber staring into empty space and refused to vote at all.
Mr. Yoho…and your statement would be what?--that you’re going to vote against everything? Haven’t we been through this before?
Mr. Stockman…publicly stating that you have no opinion will surely warm the hearts of those who voted for you.
And finally, Mr. Mulvaney…staring blankly into space as your state is called to register a vote--now that’s leadership your home state can be proud of.
2. After the House voted to retain Mr. Boehner as Speaker and the Senate again chose Mitch McConnell as minority leader, the two men met with their fellow Republicans where they were greeted with complaints that neither leader had been “sufficiently confrontational with Mr. Obama”.
What? In what universe did these people pass the past four years? Maybe they all spent them staring blankly into empty air like Mr. Mulvaney, because that’s the only reason I can think of for not noticing that the last Congress was the most contentious and non-productive in U.S. history.
Mr. Yoho…and your statement would be what?--that you’re going to vote against everything? Haven’t we been through this before?
Mr. Stockman…publicly stating that you have no opinion will surely warm the hearts of those who voted for you.
And finally, Mr. Mulvaney…staring blankly into space as your state is called to register a vote--now that’s leadership your home state can be proud of.
2. After the House voted to retain Mr. Boehner as Speaker and the Senate again chose Mitch McConnell as minority leader, the two men met with their fellow Republicans where they were greeted with complaints that neither leader had been “sufficiently confrontational with Mr. Obama”.
What? In what universe did these people pass the past four years? Maybe they all spent them staring blankly into empty air like Mr. Mulvaney, because that’s the only reason I can think of for not noticing that the last Congress was the most contentious and non-productive in U.S. history.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Eye Recommend --- Looking Forward
LOOKING FORWARD, by Gail Collins --
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/03/opinion/collins-looking-forward.html?_r=0.
Gail Collins offers a tongue-in-cheek look at our congressional circus, past and future.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/03/opinion/collins-looking-forward.html?_r=0.
Gail Collins offers a tongue-in-cheek look at our congressional circus, past and future.
- Ms. Collins takes a look at the old Congress:
"...Disaster relief joined a long list of bills that the 112th Congress could not get its act together to approve, along with reforming the farm subsidies and rescuing the Postal Service. Those particular pieces of legislation were all written and passed by the Senate, a group that’s generally less proactive than a mummy.
Ah, the House. To be fair, it takes a lot of effort to vote to repeal Obamacare 33 times..."
- She looks forward to the new Congress:
"Right now you are probably asking yourself: Will the new Congress being sworn in this week work any better than the last one?
There’s always a chance. Because, you know, it’s new. Also, the bar is low...
...On the plus side, the proportion of political nut jobs may be a little lower. Representative Allen West of Florida, who once called President Obama “a low-level socialist agitator,” is, many recounts later, a member no more. Representative Joe Walsh of Illinois was defeated by Tammy Duckworth, a military veteran who lost both legs in Iraq and who Walsh claimed was not one of “our true heroes.” Walsh was also an excellent reminder of an important rule in American politics: refrain from criticizing the other party for fiscal irresponsibility until you can work out a resolution of that child support issue."
- And she points out an intriguing possibility in South Carolina's special election to replace the departing Senator DeMint:
"...Right now one of the possible candidates is Mark Sanford, the governor who we all remember for flying to Argentina for an assignation with his lover while his staff claimed he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail.
Another much-discussed potential contender is Jenny Sanford, former wife of the above. People, while you are praying for a safe, sane and peaceful new year, I want you to make a small exception and pray that Jenny and Mark Sanford run against each other."
Gail Collins. Gotta love her.
Gail Collins. Gotta love her.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Eye Recommend --- House G.O.P. Lets Violence Against Women Act Passed by Senate Die Without a Vote
HOUSE GOP LETS VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT PASSED BY SENATE DIE WITHOUT A VOTE, by Laura Bassett and Jennifer Bendery --
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/02/violence-against-women-act-_n_2398553.html
"Despite a late-stage intervention by Vice President Joe Biden, House Republican leaders failed to advance the Senate's 2012 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, an embattled bill that would have extended domestic violence protections to 30 million LGBT individuals, undocumented immigrants and Native American women...
...In April, the Senate with bipartisan support passed a version of VAWA that extended protections to three groups of domestic violence victims who had not been covered by the original law, but House Republicans refused to support the legislation with those provisions, saying the measures were politically driven. Instead, they passed their own VAWA bill without the additional protections. In recent weeks, however, even some House Republicans who voted for the pared-down House bill have said they would now support the broader Senate bill -- and predicted it would pass if Republican leaders let it come to the floor for a vote."
No, Mr. Cantor, we don't understand. Neither do we understand why Speaker Boehner would refuse to bring it to the floor of the House for a vote.
The VAWA was originally passed in 1994 with unanimous bi-partisan support. It was renewed in 2000 and 2005 with over-whelming bi-partisan support. What your anti-VAWA stand tells us is that in 2012/13 you value politics over people--that you think abuse is okay if it is perpetrated against a same-sex partner, an illegal alien or an Native American--and that position is simply incomprehensible.
I originally addressed this issue in March of last year. You can read it here: http://whateyethynk-politics.blogspot.com/2012/03/when-previously-unanimous-agreement.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/02/violence-against-women-act-_n_2398553.html
"Despite a late-stage intervention by Vice President Joe Biden, House Republican leaders failed to advance the Senate's 2012 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, an embattled bill that would have extended domestic violence protections to 30 million LGBT individuals, undocumented immigrants and Native American women...
...In April, the Senate with bipartisan support passed a version of VAWA that extended protections to three groups of domestic violence victims who had not been covered by the original law, but House Republicans refused to support the legislation with those provisions, saying the measures were politically driven. Instead, they passed their own VAWA bill without the additional protections. In recent weeks, however, even some House Republicans who voted for the pared-down House bill have said they would now support the broader Senate bill -- and predicted it would pass if Republican leaders let it come to the floor for a vote."
The VAWA was originally passed in 1994 with unanimous bi-partisan support. It was renewed in 2000 and 2005 with over-whelming bi-partisan support. What your anti-VAWA stand tells us is that in 2012/13 you value politics over people--that you think abuse is okay if it is perpetrated against a same-sex partner, an illegal alien or an Native American--and that position is simply incomprehensible.
I originally addressed this issue in March of last year. You can read it here: http://whateyethynk-politics.blogspot.com/2012/03/when-previously-unanimous-agreement.html
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Fiscal Cliff Averted, but Hurricane Sandy Victims Not So Lucky
Late yesterday, the House of Representatives finally voted to stop the country from sliding down the fiscal cliff. (More budgetary fireworks to follow.)
However, Boehner decided not to allow a vote on the Hurricane Sandy relief package which was passed by the Senate on December 28 with a vote of 62-32. Several members of the House of Representatives, (both Republican and Democrat), took to the floor on Tuesday to plead for a vote on this necessary aid package. Boehner chose to ignore them and push the issue onto the new congress which will be sworn in on Thursday. With a new congress, the Senate's bill is dead and this whole process must begin again from step one.
what eye thynk: So, after they're done congratulating themselves on their new/continued status as members of the U.S. House of Representatives, after Boehner is done schmoozing for votes to keep his Speaker status, then the people made homeless by Hurricane Sandy might get some consideration?
Politics as usual over people in need. Shameful.
However, Boehner decided not to allow a vote on the Hurricane Sandy relief package which was passed by the Senate on December 28 with a vote of 62-32. Several members of the House of Representatives, (both Republican and Democrat), took to the floor on Tuesday to plead for a vote on this necessary aid package. Boehner chose to ignore them and push the issue onto the new congress which will be sworn in on Thursday. With a new congress, the Senate's bill is dead and this whole process must begin again from step one.
what eye thynk: So, after they're done congratulating themselves on their new/continued status as members of the U.S. House of Representatives, after Boehner is done schmoozing for votes to keep his Speaker status, then the people made homeless by Hurricane Sandy might get some consideration?
Politics as usual over people in need. Shameful.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Happy New Year - Start with Being Thankful!
H A P P Y N E W Y E A R !!!
what eye thynk: 2013 is only hours old and already I've found something to be thankful for!
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