http://politicsandpress.com/2009/healthcare-reform-baby-steps/ The interaction of the press and politics; public diplomacy, and daily absurdities. Sun, 05 Feb 2012 03:44:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://politicsandpress.com/2009/healthcare-reform-baby-steps/comment-page-1/#comment-14626 John Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:57:24 +0000 http://politicsandpress.com/?p=403#comment-14626 The Health Care Circus in the Senate over the last several months is due in large part to the GOP's use and threatened use of the filibuster, thus necessitating a 60-vote majority on virtually any piece of legislation. The filibuster has a long and nasty history, but you can make an argument for its availability in exceptional circumstances. The problem is that the Party Of No has resorted to the filibuster threat more than ever this year - more than twice as much as it has ever been used in the history of the Congress. So, not only has the GOP - or the PON, take your pick - stood against health care, environmental reform, financial reform, and virtually anything supported by Obama - it has done so using the exceptional filibuster device in a very regular manner. The combination of the petulent, child-like GOPers screaming NO, NO, NO and their access to a bill-killing device has converted the Senate from a legislative body [that, admittedly, moved exceedingly slow] into an ineffective laughing stock. That Senators Kyl, McConnell, and "Jet Crasher" [McCain crashed 3 jets in his short flying career - the last crash made him a "hero" to some] can command as much attention as they have and stop any progressive legislation at the drop of a hat indicates to me that it may well be time to revise Senate rules and do away with the 60-vote requirement for cloture. The Health Care Circus in the Senate over the last several months is due in large part to the GOP’s use and threatened use of the filibuster, thus necessitating a 60-vote majority on virtually any piece of legislation. The filibuster has a long and nasty history, but you can make an argument for its availability in exceptional circumstances. The problem is that the Party Of No has resorted to the filibuster threat more than ever this year – more than twice as much as it has ever been used in the history of the Congress. So, not only has the GOP – or the PON, take your pick – stood against health care, environmental reform, financial reform, and virtually anything supported by Obama – it has done so using the exceptional filibuster device in a very regular manner. The combination of the petulent, child-like GOPers screaming NO, NO, NO and their access to a bill-killing device has converted the Senate from a legislative body [that, admittedly, moved exceedingly slow] into an ineffective laughing stock. That Senators Kyl, McConnell, and “Jet Crasher” [McCain crashed 3 jets in his short flying career - the last crash made him a "hero" to some] can command as much attention as they have and stop any progressive legislation at the drop of a hat indicates to me that it may well be time to revise Senate rules and do away with the 60-vote requirement for cloture.

]]> http://politicsandpress.com/2009/healthcare-reform-baby-steps/comment-page-1/#comment-14616 Valuable Internet Information » Healthcare Reform: Baby Steps Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:37:20 +0000 http://politicsandpress.com/?p=403#comment-14616 [...] View original here: Healthcare Reform: Baby Steps [...] [...] View original here: Healthcare Reform: Baby Steps [...]

]]> http://politicsandpress.com/2009/healthcare-reform-baby-steps/comment-page-1/#comment-14615 Valuable Internet Information » Healthcare Reform: Baby Steps Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:27:06 +0000 http://politicsandpress.com/?p=403#comment-14615 [...] The rest is here:  Healthcare Reform: Baby Steps [...] [...] The rest is here:  Healthcare Reform: Baby Steps [...]

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