Link: Sign the Petition to Expose The Obstructionists.
Remember, not so long ago, when the GOP would bellyache regularly about "obstructionist" Democrats who used "cowardly" procedural maneuvers to prevent an "up or down vote" on their legislation and nominees? Remember how they railed against "thwarting the will of majority" with such "anti-democratic" tricks? Remember how they threatened to use the "nuclear option" to destroy the minority right of filibuster? Well, it turns out, not so much…
Now that they are in the minority, they have no qualms about using parliamentary procedures to block progress on major legislation. I don’t begrudge them, but I do question their hypocrisy in taking up these methods with such gusto after years in the majority calling such methods cowardly and obstructionist. Campaign for America’s Future is calling for Democratic leadership to call the GOP caucus on their hypocrisy. You can help by signing their petition.
In a way, this issue is one of those problems you are glad to have: it’s a symptom of being in the majority, after all. But at least part of the public’s current dissatisfaction with Congressional performance is the impression they are unable to get anything done. In a way, 2008 will be a test of the proposal that an "obstructionist" minority will be harmed electorally by their intransigence. That was an excuse often used by Democratic leaders when we were in the minority not to resist much more vigorously GOP legislative priorities. That argument seems superficially to be born out by our 2006 results, but that is only half the proof. Will the GOP suffer once again for their strong and obdurate opposition? Somehow, I rather doubt it; but I’d be happy to be proved wrong.
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Quoted from TPM: As Roll Call reported this week, 239 separate bills have passed the House, only to find Senate Republicans “objecting to just about every major piece of legislation” that Harry Reid has tried to bring to the floor, whether it enjoys bi-partisan support or not.
Indeed, Senate Republicans — the ones accusing Dems of being a “do-nothing Congress” — are proud of their efforts. Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott boasted, “The strategy of being obstructionist can work or fail. So far it’s working for us.” Poor Trent Lott – he doesn’t know what to do with his mouth. He was run out on a rail as majority leader due to his comments about Strom Thurmond – now this.
Republicans can’t have it both ways – either the Democrats are not getting anything done or Republicans are united to be sure they are preventing anything from getting done. Looks like Trent Lott wants to be sure Republicans get all the credit for being obstructionists – I say let them have it!!!