Tag Archives: Harry Reid

Jon Stewart On Harry Reid

Posted on August 13, 2012 | 2 comments

As is my habit, I record the Daily Show and watch in batch.  Most enjoyable.  Imagine my excitement when I hit on this episode.

When Harry Reid made the claim that Romney hadn’t paid his taxes in 10, years I called shenanigans and claimed that he was in in Birther territory.  I was SO wrong that my main man Jon Stewart agrees with me:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-august-1-2012/you–harry-reid–are-terrible?xrs=share_copy

Now, the end of the clip where he mocks Fox?  That’s hilarious.  But the fact remains that by saying, “Romney could end all the speculation by just releasing his tax returns.” is the same argument as, “Obama could end all the speculation by just releasing his birth certificate.”

Now, with that said, I wonder why he isn’t releasing them.  I also wondered why Obama didn’t release his birth certificate.  Maybe, deep inside, I’m hoping for the stand up and cheer moment when a candidate, when asked if he has ever smoked weed, played D&D made a mistake when he was 13 would say, “None of your business.  I’m here to run a country and that isn’t relevant to the conversation.”

However, this is politics, and like it or not, by refusing to release how much money he makes he’s giving the impression that there is something wrong.

But for tonight, I’m happy to listen to Jon Stewart take Harry Reid to task for being a birther.

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Posted in Elections 2012, Fun

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Romney, Taxes And Cabinet Positions

Posted on August 2, 2012 | 10 comments

A certain Mr. Harry Reid has set off a kerfuffle with his statement that Romney hadn’t paid taxes for 10 years:

“He didn’t pay taxes for 10 years! Now, do I know that that’s true? Well, I’m not certain,” said Reid.

After reading the article, I’ve found this claim by Harry Reid to be only the SECOND most amazing thing he mentioned.  I mean, forget that I could say  that my buddy saw Dale Earnhardt Jr. giving Michelle Obama the business while she was here on a campaign stop, “Now, do  I know that that’s true?  Well, I’m not certain.”

The MOST amazing claim from the Majority Leader was this:

In a wide-ranging interview with The Huffington Post from his office on Capitol Hill, Reid saved some of his toughest words for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Romney couldn’t make it through a Senate confirmation process as a mere Cabinet nominee, the majority leader insisted, owing to the opaqueness of his personal finances.

Are you kidding me?  Let’s look:

  • Kathleen Sebelius
  • Tom Daschle
  • Tim Geithner
  • Eric Holder
  • Hillary Clinton

All members or nominees of Obama’s cabinet.  THIS President clearly doesn’t care if members of the Cabinet pay or not pay their taxes.

 

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Posted in Elections 2012, Idiots on Parade

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Senator Harry Reid: Filibuster, Amendments And Debate

Posted on July 21, 2012 | 1 comment

On Friday I posted that there may be a reason behind the claim that republicans are obstructing the democrats in the senate.  Nickgb called shenanigans:

How about on the GOP members that use a filibuster threat to prevent anything from passing or, if they get to add those amendments, just use it to add pills to everything.

In the past, I’ve been unable to to find data on senate majority leaders use of the practice called “filling the tree.”  However, with the use of the term “poison pill” I was able to find this:

Senator Robert Byrd understood the importance of allowing for a full debate and amendment process in order to preserve the Senate as a unique institution in our democracy – “the one place in the whole government where the minority is guaranteed a public airing of its views.” The Senate, he taught, “was intended to be a forum for open and free debate and for the protection of political minorities.” Indeed, “as long as the Senate retains the power to amend and the power of unlimited debate, the liberties of the people will remain secure.”

Allowing the minority to debate and amend legislation has given way to the Democrats’ election-year political strategy of blaming Republicans as obstructionists. Majority Leader Reid has done this by preventing Republicans from amending pending legislation, ending debate before it starts, and by-passing the committee process.

And how does the current majority leader score?

Counting the 102ns through the 109th congress, we have 9 sessions.  Combined they haven’t accumulated the instances that Reid has in just more than 2.

And blocking debate?

Now, to be sure, Frist was leader for only two sessions, Reid just over 2.  That would put Frist at 12.5 per session.  Reid is at just over 25 if his total doesn’t rise at all in the remaining time of his 3rd session.

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Posted in Government, Politics: National

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Obstructionist Congress

Posted on July 20, 2012 | 5 comments

Congress is having a hard time getting anything done.  This is true in general but has been especially true with this specific session.  The common complain from the left is that the minority won’t even let votes come to the floor and live by a simple majority.  Everything requires 60 vote to pass.

The republicans are just blocking everything Obama wants to do.  For example:

Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked an “insourcing” bill from Democrats that would have ended tax breaks for companies that move jobs overseas.

The Bring Jobs Home Act also would have given a tax incentives to companies that bring jobs back to the United States. The measure failed to advance on a 56-42 vote, with 60 votes needed to end debate on the bill.

Earlier in the week, Republicans also blocked the Disclose Act, which would have required the disclosure of campaign contributions of more than $10,000.

Seemingly another example of the republicans abusing the power of the minority.  However, might there be another side to the story?

Republicans were considering supporting the insourcing bill until Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he wouldn’t include any GOP amendments.

The democrats have “ruled” as the majority since Obama took office.  He even referred to his unwillingness to consider republican ideas when has said, “I won.”  There may be fewer bills being passed, there certainly is debate on whether that’s a feature or a bug.  But f blame is going to be cast, it needs to be cast where it belongs.

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Posted in Politics: National

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The Filibuster

Posted on June 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

I saw a graphic the other day that said this congress passed the fewest new laws in what, 40 years?  To some this represents “gridlock” in congress and is emblematic of the troubles we’re facing in an increasingly partisan world.  To me this is a feature.

Whatever the case, there is the belief that much of this inability to pass laws is as a result of the republicans penchant for the filibuster.  The procedural requirement that a bill obtain 60 votes to allow it to be voted on.  In other words, the bill really requires not a majority of the senate, but what can be construed as a SUPER majority.

Personally I’ve never been much of a fan of the filibuster.  The idea that a group of individuals can hold up the workings of the senate seems to me to be rather — well, childish.  The feeling i have for the filibuster is the same I felt as we watched Wisconsin play out.  First the democrat fled the state, escaping the reach of the law by the way, so as to prevent a vote on Governor Walkers budget bill that would have stripped the public unions of much of their ability to collectively bargain.  Then we watched as the state’s democrats forced a recall election for each senator and the governor.

Babies all.

So I resonate with the dislikers of the filibuster.  And I even acknowledge the increase in use of the procedure since Obama has take office and the republicans are in the minority.

What I don’t know is how often THIS happens:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday blocked Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) from attaching an amendment to the farm bill that would withhold U.S. aid to Pakistan.

Reid asked for unanimous consent Tuesday to consider a batch of five amendments to the farm bill, the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012 (S.3240), but Paul objected, arguing that his amendment on withholding aid to Pakistan should also be included.

In response, Reid performed a procedural move called “filling the tree,” or taking up all the amendment space, to keep Paul’s amendment from being considered.

Now, this is pretty “inside baseball” and even THIS whole series of events is questionable.  However, that’s how work gets done in the halls of the senate.  And if the Leader is going to prevent a silly procedure by the use of another silly procedure then he should not be surprised, or outraged, when THAT silly procedure is counter by the silly procedure we call the filibuster.

 

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Posted in Government, Politics: National

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Devastating Pictures of a Once Great City

Posted on January 4, 2011 | 2 comments

Herein lie the results of Liberal governance.  THIS is –or should be–the epitaph of destructive policies from the minds of Leftists.

A once proud and great city demolished.

All here for you to see.

Continue to elect Obama, Pelosi and Reid at your peril.  Support and allow Unions to dominate a city and State at your own risk.  Ignore Liberty and instead plunder and employ force to separate the man from his production and behold; BEHOLD your world Leftist.

Behold.

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Posted in Government, Liberty, States Behaving Badly

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