Republicans TRY to Work While Dems Vacation

[Trent 0]

What's up with that? I haven't heard much here from the peanut gallery. I'd think that any thinking person would appreciate congress stayin in session until they could vote on some of the energy issues that the majority of Americans think are important.

Noooo... instead, the snivelling Pelosi just cuts off all media and heads home. It's nice to see that some Republicans stayed behind showing their willingness to work.

It is no wonder that congress has a lower approval rating than the president.

But let's not talk about that... I hear Obama said something about change!! Look! Shiny!

Oh, hello again!

[PhreeZone 15]

It is very disappointing to see Congress not sticking around to address some of the open bills that are still yet to be voted on. But this is nothing more then politics as usual, one side tries to make them look better but putting in just a bit more effort then the other in a game that has the America public the loser no matter who wins.

What I find far more disappointing then the lack of votes taking place currently is the lack of voting that took place when Congress was actually in session by members of both parties. I am expecially disapointed by both presidential canidates for their voting records.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
Representing: Arizona
Votes: 399 votes missed (63.3%), 231 votes cast

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)
Representing: Illinois
Votes: 282 votes missed (44.8%), 348 votes cast

Quote

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Trent 0]

Focus.

Let's talk about why they wouldn't stick around to get something done. What is Queen Pelosi afraid of?

Oh, hello again!

[billvon 2,421]

> instead, the snivelling Pelosi just cuts off all media and heads home.

Well, why stay? McCain's been on vacation for four months. Once all the republicans start their vacations early, it gets to the point where there's no point in keeping Congress in session.

[TrophyHusband 0]

i didn't realize that if the speaker of the house didn't like a bill, he or she has the power to refuse to allow it to come to a vote.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[PhreeZone 15]

Because its a scheduled break and a lot of the House members (of both parties) that are up for reelection took off to go campaign to keep their seats?

The number of Republicans that actaully stayed is a minority of them. I have been trying to find a firm number but no one has a roll call of who is actually still there so the numbers have been quoted as 20-200 More then 1 member had already shut their office down and left town before they found out what was being set up, a few came back but others have not returned still. Are those members that have not returned still Rebublicans?

This has been done by the Democrats to make the Rebuplicans look bad too:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,252225,00.html Feb 2007
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/19/senate.reid/ Nov 2007

Its just politics as usual. Approving offshore drilling today is not going to increase the ammout of crude reaching the refineries by election time to drive gas prices down, hell it won't be reaching the refineries for 4-7 years in some cases.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[PhreeZone 15]

He/She can not block a bill from coming to a vote, in this case the Speaker of the House is not willing to call an emergency session of Congress in the middle of their scheduled 5 week break therefore stopping any voting on the measure until September. This will be after both parties have had their conventions and been able to set up their reelection campaigns for those members that have their seat up for reelection this fall.

At this point the bill was released from the committe too late to be brought to the floor for a vote before the break started.

If your boss dumps a pile of work on your desk at 4:59 on a Friday when you are vacation the next week what do you do?

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[quade 3]

Uh . . . wasn't there a Republican filibuster going on in the last week or so that tied up a shit load of time?

If the Republicans wanted to pass bills and such, why did they waste so much fuggin' time? THAT is the issue, the Republicans have been using delaying tactics and NOW want to blame the Democrats for stuff left undone they dropped on them at the 11th hour.

That's just bullshit.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[PhreeZone 15]

I found hard numbers finally for how many people stayed on August 1st - accourding to TheHill.com it was only 48. That is 48 out of 206 or only 23% of the Republicans actually stayed for this protest on Friday and some of them left town after the protest was over Friday evening and have not came back yet.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Trent 0]

And.... how many Dems stayed?
Would that someone had the balls to force them into session.
How is preventing a vote democratic?

And yep, she can prevent votes. Done it before too...

"House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Wednesday that Democrats will use House rules to prevent a vote on the controversial Colombia free trade agreement. "
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/pelosi-to-prevent-colombia-vote-2008-04-09.html

I don't know, maybe I'm using the wrong vocabulary here, but everything I've read shows her "blocking" a vote here.

And fuck 'em if they can't get re-elected during all their free time. Clearly, the majority of them shouldn't be re-elected with that shit approval rating.

Some of you sound like an ex girlfriend of mine... let me make it childishly clear for you: If I point out something wrong with one side, it does NOT imply the opposite of the other side.

In this case, with the way things are and the election coming up, it's pretty clear that the Dems want any useful legislation to be passed under an Obama presidency for brownie points. Is putting off our national welfare some some turd in office can get credit something you support?

Oh, hello again!

[Amazon 7]

Does that sinker hurt that you swallowed with all that line attached to it???

The hook is probably set so deep you cant even feel that.




BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Trent 0]

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Does that sinker hurt that you swallowed with all that line attached to it???

The hook is probably set so deep you cant even feel that.




BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Sweet burn. Too bad it's wrong.

Oh, hello again!

[Trent 0]

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If your boss dumps a pile of work on your desk at 4:59 on a Friday when you are vacation the next week what do you do?

Clearly, people like you say, "Fuck you boss! Can't fire me!" and go on out the door.

I'd like to think that matters of state and having the American people as boss kinda make things more important than a TPS report.

When was that last filibuster? And was it in the house... or senate??

Oh, hello again!

[Gawain 0]

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Focus.

Let's talk about why they wouldn't stick around to get something done. What is Queen Pelosi afraid of?

Easy, it's an election year, and a the drilling measure would pass. She can't lead the argument against it and she can't fend off parliamentary procedures, so she closes the session.

She is, I think, the single worst Speaker of the House in history. A complete failure within her party's leadership.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[TrophyHusband 0]

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At this point the bill was released from the committe too late to be brought to the floor for a vote before the break started.

If your boss dumps a pile of work on your desk at 4:59 on a Friday when you are vacation the next week what do you do?

i don't know what the timeline was, i've been pretty busy lately and have just heard snippets here and there about pilosi refusing to allow an energy bill come to the floor not because it was introduced too late, but in her words, she's "trying to save the planet.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[PhreeZone 15]

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Clearly, people like you say, "Fuck you boss! Can't fire me!" and go on out the door.

I haven't had more then a 3 day vacation in 3 years so I'm not sure who you mean when you say "people like you"

I've always felt that Congress had the best work schedule of any company out there, they are only in session about 140-160 daya a year. So far this year the House only worked 4 5 day weeks. I wish I could get the schedule that our representitives have.

Here are the number of days the House was in session for the last few years:

2008 - 96 (and counting)
2007 - 167
2006 - 104
2005 - 122
2004 - 110
2003 - 138
2002 - 126
2001 - 146
2000 - 139
1999 - 139
1998 - 119
1997 - 134

As for Pelosi she has been very much against a drill only bill so I see this as a stall measure to get the bill changed to include other inititives also. Its a cheap tactic to use since it hurts the rest of the democrats in the public opinion only for her to get her way on this one measure. I'm not sure an emergency session of Congress is the right responce also. Ideally someone would have put forth a bill to change the scheduled break to a different time/length and then if it passed it would have allowed the time needed to get this to an up or down vote. If the bill to change the session dates failed then everyone that voted no would be able to be held responcible for the other issues not getting voted on.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[kelpdiver 2]

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i didn't realize that if the speaker of the house didn't like a bill, he or she has the power to refuse to allow it to come to a vote.

uh, certainly can. The Speaker has a lot of power. I thought the turning off of the lights was a classic Willie Brown play - he did it all the time when he was Speaker of the CA state assembly.

Bottom line - Trent is unhappy that the Democrats are pulling the same tricks the Republicans did during their reign 1994-2006.

The oil vote is an election year ploy - one of the few the GOP has got. It shouldn't surprise you that the Democrats will play hardball back. Actually, imo, it's about fucking time Pelosi grew a pair and starting pushing back.

[FallingOsh 0]

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Its just politics as usual. Approving offshore drilling today is not going to increase the ammout of crude reaching the refineries by election time to drive gas prices down, hell it won't be reaching the refineries for 4-7 years in some cases.

Crude won't flow but prices will immediately come down. Just like prices dropped $.30-$.40/gallon after Bush lifted his ban. Prices are heavily based on prediction of supply and demand, not actual supply.

--------------------------------------------------
Stay positive and love your life.

[kelpdiver 2]

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Its just politics as usual. Approving offshore drilling today is not going to increase the ammout of crude reaching the refineries by election time to drive gas prices down, hell it won't be reaching the refineries for 4-7 years in some cases.

Crude won't flow but prices will immediately come down. Just like prices dropped $.30-$.40/gallon after Bush lifted his ban. Prices are heavily based on prediction of supply and demand, not actual supply.

uh...everyone on the planet knows that lifting the ban isn't going to change any prediction of supply for the next decade, so your asserted cause/effect seems unlikely.

[Gawain 0]

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Quote

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Its just politics as usual. Approving offshore drilling today is not going to increase the ammout of crude reaching the refineries by election time to drive gas prices down, hell it won't be reaching the refineries for 4-7 years in some cases.

Crude won't flow but prices will immediately come down. Just like prices dropped $.30-$.40/gallon after Bush lifted his ban. Prices are heavily based on prediction of supply and demand, not actual supply.

uh...everyone on the planet knows that lifting the ban isn't going to change any prediction of supply for the next decade, so your asserted cause/effect seems unlikely.

Uh, yes it does. That's why it's called speculation. Speculation to seeing one of the world's most precious resources being harvested from companies that operate within the most stable democracy on the planet would immediately provide a stabilization of supply factor to speculators' risk assessments, even if the risk were measured over five years.

I bet if given the chance, ExxonMobil, Schlumberger, BP Amoco, et al, could be pulling product out of the ground in less three years, even less, if the government and dirt people would get out of the way.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[FallingOsh 0]

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uh...everyone on the planet knows that lifting the ban isn't going to change any prediction of supply for the next decade, so your asserted cause/effect seems unlikely.

Apparently not. That's why gas prices fell after the presidential ban was lifted.

Maybe everyone on the planet that doesn't know how oil speculation works.

--------------------------------------------------
Stay positive and love your life.

[billvon 2,421]

>And yep, she can prevent votes.

She can indeed; the chickens have come home to roost. I must admit it will be amusing to hear all republicans cry over tactics pioneered by the GOP.

>And fuck 'em if they can't get re-elected during all their free time. Clearly,
>the majority of them shouldn't be re-elected with that shit approval rating.

Somehow I suspect they will be.

>Is putting off our national welfare some some turd in office can get
>credit something you support?

Nope. And if our national welfare was threatened, I would indeed be upset. But at this point, the less work they do the better off we are. The last thing we need are more "stimulus checks", windfall profits taxes, Enron loopholes, bridges to nowhere or new wars.

[kelpdiver 2]

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uh...everyone on the planet knows that lifting the ban isn't going to change any prediction of supply for the next decade, so your asserted cause/effect seems unlikely.

Apparently not. That's why gas prices fell after the presidential ban was lifted.

Maybe everyone on the planet that doesn't know how oil speculation works.

Oil prices were clearly in a speculative bubble - you haven't shown that Bush's action was the reason it retreated.

[kallend 1,640]

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Here are the number of days the House was in session for the last few years:

2008 - 96 (and counting)
2007 - 167
2006 - 104
2005 - 122
2004 - 110
2003 - 138
2002 - 126
2001 - 146
2000 - 139
1999 - 139
1998 - 119
1997 - 134

.

Facts can be so awkward.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[FallingOsh 0]

Oil prices spiked 100% in 12 months and then immediately declined 10% upon the announcement. this explains why

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8878


Can you prove speculation and the decision to lift the ban aren't factors?

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Stay positive and love your life.