DeMint is DeCrazy

Wonkbook: What went right, and what went wrong, in Congress last night
Congress was up late last night. First, something that could've gone wrong didn't. The tax deal passed, and despite a day of peculiar haggling over the way the vote would go down, most House Democrats joined with most House Republicans to protect the deal from amendment and pass it through the chamber. It doesn't have to go back to the Senate, a new round of negotiations isn't needed. It's done. But then, something that wasn't supposed to go wrong did. Harry Reid announced he didn't have enough...

And Now You Can Pat Yourself On The Back
The Omnibus bill was pulled last night by Harry Reid after several Republicans who were considering voting for it reversed course. The Omnibus bill was defeated because of you and millions of others like you who let their voices be heard on the Internet, radio airwaves, through emails and phone calls, and most of all, at the voting booth in November. Your efforts not only influenced Republicans in the Senate, but also Democrats who are up for Reelection in 2012. I had Reid wrong. I thought that...

Dems: Bah, humbug!
It’s Christmastime in Washington. Wreaths adorn the arches of Union Station. The National Cathedral hosts “Handel’s Messiah.” A sparkling conifer stands, a quiet sentinel, on Capitol Hill throughout the night. And, of course, lawmakers invoke the holiday spirit for partisan gain — using Christmas cheer to sling political mud. Continue Reading Text Size - + reset Politico 44 Republicans spun a new Dickens tale this week, finding their Ebenezer Scrooge in Senate ...

Another Terrible, Arcane Rule Will Bring the Senate to a Halt
The Senate will most likely approve President Obama's tax deal today. Now that that's settled, can the chamber finish its other year-end work? Sure! But Tea Party Sen. Jim DeMint wants these bills read in full on the Senate floor. "Read the bill!" was a popular Tea Party chant during the election, but maybe Tea Party folks could settle for senators reading bills in their spare time as the basic requirement? Nope, sorry. That wouldn't take full advantage of each individual senator's arcane righ...

Tea Party Era Begins With Refusal To Debate 'Omnibus' Spending Bill
WASHINGTON -- The new, more Republican Congress won't arrive in town until next month, but the Tea Party Era unofficially began on the Hill Thursday night. Republican leaders in Congress, blindsided by Grassroots fury over the Tax Cut deal they made with President Obama, are now scrambling to show their allegiance to the anti-federal, anti-debt movement. The GOP brass, led by Senate Party Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), did so tonight by eagerly backing the successful efforts of Tea Party favo...

Playing Chicken with Christmas
I can just imagine conversations going on between senators and their spouses right about now. “Sweetie, I'm sorry, but I'm going to be stuck in Washington all of next week.” “Darling, no way. You left me alone last year with your in-laws and the kids. I'm not doing another Christmas in Florida without you.” “Sugar plum, I'm really sorry. But the Senate's work is not done. And this is my job, my responsibility to our constituents.” “When you get here, if ...

Who (and what) could still trip up DADT repeal
Somewhat amazingly, it now seems more likely than not that the Military's widely loathed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy will be repealed in the coming days. This outcome was hard to imagine just a week ago, when -- not for the first time -- Repeal proponents were unable to muster 60 votes to end a GOP-led Filibuster of a Defense Authorization bill that included Repeal language. But immediately after that failed Cloture vote, Joe Lieberman and Susan Collins announced their plans to file a new, st...

Harry Reid stands up for Christmas!
Republican Sens. Jon Kyl (Ariz.) and Jim DeMint (S.C.) owe Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Christians throughout America a big Apology for their hilarious attack using Jesus to justify obstructing the Senate. Reid won't get an apology. But he disposed of the issue quite well himself. Let me raise a much larger issue here. Democrats and Progressives should reach out to all religious denominations in a dramatic effort to unite Americans to help the poor, as Jesus taught so often. I will le...

Who (and what) could still trip up DADT repeal
Somewhat amazingly, it now seems more likely than not that the Military's widely loathed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy will be repealed in the coming days. This outcome was hard to imagine just a week ago, when -- not for the first time -- Repeal proponents were unable to muster 60 votes to end a GOP-led Filibuster of a Defense Authorization bill that included Repeal language. But immediately after that failed Cloture vote, Joe Lieberman and Susan Collins announced their plans to file a new, st...

Lawmakers stretching out Russia nuke pact debate
WASHINGTON — Republican opponents of a new U.S-Russia nuclear arms pact are ignoring demands by Democrats that they move toward a vote as they stretch out debate amid a tight year-end schedule in Congress. Debate on the treaty lasted into the evening Thursday even as lawmakers wrangled on how to deal with essential budgetary issues that must be addressed before Congress breaks for the year. Democrats were urging Republicans to address their concerns in a separate document that would be a...

Today's Power Play: House Dems Fold on Taxes; GOP Wins Spending Fight; Gay Military Plan Alive; 2012 Field Shaping Up
Chris Stirewalt's Power Play is available for a limited time on the America's Election HQ blog. Check back for updates on new subscription offers for app users. -- Rep. Peter Defazio (D-OR) denouncing a tax Compromise between President Obama and Republicans. Democratic objections and weeks of bitter complaining about a deal between President Obama and the GOP went up in a cloud of smoke late Thursday night. The midnight vote sends the bill back to president Obama for his signature exactly as the...

Senators Jim DeMint And Jon Kyl Call Democrats Sacrilegious For Pushing Legislation During The Holidays
The more visibility South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint (pictured) gets, the crazier it gets. After failing at a stunt to delay votes, he now questions the faith of Democrats who want to work through the holidays. “We shouldn’t be jamming a major Arms Control treaty up against Christmas; it’s sacrilegious and disrespectful,” he told Politico. “What’s going on here is just wrong. This is the most sacred holiday for Christians. They did the same thing last year - they

DeMint: Crammed agenda 'sacrilegious'
Published: Dec. 16, 2010 at 11:30 AM Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) speaks to the press following the Democratic Caucus Luncheons on Capitol Hill in Washington on December 14, 2010. Reid said he would keep the Senate in session for as long as needed in order to finish their work on the tax bill, appropriations, DREAM Act, 9/11 Legislation and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." UPI/Kevin Dietsch WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- A push by Senate Democrats to ratify an Arms Control ...

Department of the Obvious, or Why The Senate Must Be Reformed
Jon Chait points out the obvious: that Mitch McConnell secured an agreement from all Republican Senators to vote together on all procedural votes. The effect was that the Republicans agreed to act like a parliamentary party, with the baleful effects for American Democracy I have described here. Since the tactic has proved so successful in the past two years, there's little reason to doubt that Senate Republicans will attempt to continue it for the foreseeable future, fundamentally changing how C...

Lawmakers stretching out Russia nuke pact debate
WASHINGTON—Republican opponents of a new U.S-Russia nuclear arms pact are ignoring demands by Democrats that they move toward a vote as they stretch out debate amid a tight year-end schedule in Congress. Debate on the treaty lasted into the evening Thursday even as lawmakers wrangled on how to deal with essential budgetary issues that must be addressed before Congress breaks for the year. Democrats were urging Republicans to address their concerns in a separate document that would be appr...

Lawmakers stretching out Russia nuke pact debate
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican opponents of a new U.S-Russia nuclear arms pact are ignoring demands by Democrats that they move toward a vote as they stretch out debate amid a tight year-end schedule in Congress. Debate on the treaty lasted into the evening Thursday even as lawmakers wrangled on how to deal with essential budgetary issues that must be addressed before Congress breaks for the year. Democrats were urging Republicans to address their concerns in a separate document that would b...

Lawmakers stretching out Russia nuke pact debate
Republican opponents of a new U.S-Russia nuclear arms pact are ignoring demands by Democrats that they move toward a vote as they stretch out debate amid a tight year-end schedule in Congress. Debate on the treaty lasted into the evening Thursday even as lawmakers wrangled on how to deal with essential budgetary issues that must be addressed before Congress breaks for the year. Democrats were urging Republicans to address their concerns in a separate document that would be approved along with th...

Obstructionism
Jim DeMint, John Thune, John Kyl, and various other bags of fluid in cheap suits are whining like kettles over the fact that Harry Reid wants them to work until December 24 (aka to work the same schedule as you). "It is impossible to do all of the things that the Majority Leader laid out without doing - frankly, without disrespecting the institution and without disrespecting one of the two holiest of holidays for Christians and the families of all of the Senate, not just the senators themselve...

POLITICAL HOT TOPICS: Friday, December 17, 2010
The CNN Washington Bureau’s morning speed read of the top stories making news from around the country and the world. Click on the headlines for more. The House of Representatives gave final approval late Thursday night to the $858 billion tax deal negotiated by the White House and top Senate Republicans, sending it to President Barack Obama to be signed into law. After a day of legislative wrangling that delayed consideration of the measure for several hours, the final vote of 277-148 had...

Senate Dems Talk up Filibuster Reform
The Huffington Post reports: WASHINGTON — Some Senate Democrats leading the push for Filibuster reform say they plan to discuss possible rule changes during a full Caucus meeting, likely to be held on Friday, and will seek a final package for the chamber to consider early next year. In a Conference Call with reporters on Thursday, two of the Senate’s loudest pro-reform voices offered fresh details on the still-delicate strategy they said they hope to pursue in the weeks ahead. Acco...

The Winter of Our Discontent: Republicans are Singing, Let it No, Let it No, Let it No!
by Walter Brasch The Party of No, sometimes known as Republicans, has been consistent in its contempt for America. President Obama wanted to continue the Bush Tax Cuts, but limit them only to those individuals earning less than $200,000 a year and families earning less than $250,000 a year. That would eliminate tax cuts for all but the Richest 2 percent of Americans. The NO Party, which hypocritically emphasizes how much it wants to reduce government, demanded that all Tax Credits be approved....

House Passes Controversial Tax Legislation
What is this? The Controversial package extends long term Unemployment Benefits to jobless Americans and cuts Social Security taxes for a year. It renews some Bush-era Tax Cuts that were about to expire. AP notes the new expiration date for these Tax Cuts is 2012: right at the end of an election year. It passed the House 278-177, but NPR's Andrea Seabrook tells Morning Edition many Democrats hated it because it didn't require wealthier Americans to pay more in taxes, while Republicans mourned th...

In a Victory for Earmark Opponents, Dems Drop Their Trillion-Dollar Omnibus Spending Bill
Friday, December 17, 2010 By Patrick Goodenough Senate Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell holds up the 1,924-page omnibus spending bill on the Senate floor on Thursday night. (Screenshot: C-SPAN) (CNSNews.com) - Senate Democrats Thursday evening withdrew an earmark-laden omnibus spending bill, agreeing instead to work on a short-term, stop-gap funding bill - a “continuing resolution” - to keep the Federal Government running beyond midnight Saturday. Earlier, Secretary of

Kerry, Lugar Announce Second Series Of Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearings On The New START Treaty
WASHINGTON, DC – Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) and Ranking Member Richard Lugar (R-IN) today released a schedule for the second round of hearings on the New START Treaty. The Committee has held five hearings thus far with current and former administration officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen, former Secretaries of State James Baker and Henry Ki...

New START: You Cant Amend a Treaty
Debate has started on New START and Republican Senators are offering amendments to the treaty. Senate rules allow the Senate to amend a treaty, but this is dumb. In reality, a treaty cannot be amended. All efforts to amend the text of the treaty are therefore Poison Pill amendments offered to kill the treaty. The Senate has NEVER amended the text of any previous Arms Control treaty. Republican complaints that they need more time so that they can offer amendments to the treaty are not serious. T...