Why Did Democrats Adjourn??

:grr:

http://www.openleft.com/frontPage.do

Senate adjourns without extending unemployment, COBRA benefits
by: Chris Bowers
Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 19:16


The Senate has adjourned for the weekend without passing an extension of unemployment and COBRA benefits. The immediate reason for this is Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning:



This is horrifying. 1.2 million people are about to lose their unemployment benefits because of Senate rules.

Democrats can blame Bunning, but why did they adjourn? Further, why do so many continue to defend procedural rules that make something like this possible?

Democrats are going to get blamed for this, too. People who lose their unemployment benefits are not going to think "oh, this happened because one Senator refused to agree to a unanimous consent on a motion to proceed, so I'll blame that Senator." No. That isn't going to happen.

Democrats are in charge, and they are going to get blamed for this. Democratic attempts to blame this on Senate procedure will ring utterly hollow. Not only do people not understand, or care about, those rules, but it simply sounds wimpy and pathetic for the people running the United States Government to throw their hands up in the air and say "our procedural rules prevented us from doing anything to solve this huge problem. Sorry."

Democrats did not have to adjourn. They could have kept fighting Bunning. Further, they all agreed to the rules under which the Senate operates, and most of them are still defending those rules. Blaming Senate procedure is not going to extend anyone's unemployment or COBRA benefits, and its not going to win many hearts around the country.

Sure, Jim Bunning is currently the biggest asshole in the country right now. However, if you think that procedure is a problem, then start working to change the procedure. If you think that unemployment benefits need to be extended, then don't adjourn for the weekend when those benefits are slated to run out.

The mood I'm in, I would have been fine if Bunning disappeared into a closet and returned with large bruises in places not publicly on show.

When unemplyment benefits and COBRA are affected, people will take notice. And guess who they'll blame? The obstructionist Republicans, as they should.

I'm glad you think this is all fun and games. Sorry, we simply CANNOT blame this one on GOP obstructionism. We didn't have to adjourn. Even if the rethugs wanted to filibuster - which I don't think they would have on this particular case - we could found at least a couple of rethugs to switch.

Reid called his bluff.

you must lead.

I suspect that Bunning will be stared down long before the end of March.

Whoever is affected starting Monday needs to show up at his house.

I love that! There must be some who live near his house in KY who are affected.

place.

And there was nothing the Dems could do because he would not relent...
"...The Senate adjourned before noon on Friday after it became clear Bunning wouldn't relent..."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7802829&mesg_id=7803793

Blame the Republicans, blame Bunning ...

:(

Make Bunning stay there with the spotlight on him and refuse to adjourn until there was a deal.

He set the vote for the last minute. He should have never been given any leadership position. He is a weak spineless man.

that requires unanimous consent. the repub leadership had indicated that they were okay with this. But Bunning went off the reservation. Its not Reid's fault and staying in session wouldn't make any difference because under the regular order the bill would have to go through committee and cloture and that couldn't happen over the weekend even if the Senate had stayed in session.

anyway...

1. Senator Spineless Reid made a mistake (?)
2. Wanted the repukes to once again show their anti-human and barbaric face...

The bill originated in the House yesterday. The idea was to hotline it in the Senate so it could be considered immediately. That was apparently worked out with the repub leadership but Bunning went rogue and blocked the necessary unanimous consent. The bill could be passed with the regular order, but that can't be done before next week under the Senate rules.

When you tell 100 people, their respective staffs, and all the other folks who keep the Senate running that you're going to be done with business for the week at a certain time on Friday, some of those people are going to make plans beginning the minute after that time certain. Think about your boss (or your employees if you're the boss) at 4:55 on Friday suddenly announcing that everyone is going to have to work until 6 or maybe 8 or 9, the boss isn't sure. Can you say full-blown mutiny?

But there was no reason to stay in session this weekend since there was nothing that could be done to change the situation.

As it stands, he is probably a "secret" hero to his fellow Republicans for forcing a delay in passing this legislation. Makes the Democrats again look weak, and unable to get things done.

The general public doesn't know from "procedure". They just see the Democrats fail to get something done, again. It is all about image, and marketing savvy Republicans beat the Democrats again.

and the Democrats believed that he would,as it traditionally the case in this kind of situation, withdraw his objection by the end of the night Thursday. If the Senate had stayed in session there probably wouldn't have been a quorum to do business.

...perform as predicted.

Could have been a political statement or threat, could have been mental illness or a childish tantrum, could have been high blood sugar.

Bunning doesn't object to extending COBRA and unemployment benefits or any of the other extenders in the bill. His objection is that the bill isn't paid for -- that it adds to the deficit. His proposal is to take $10 billion in money appropriated for use for stimulus in 2012 and apply it against the cost of the extended benefits so there will be no net change in the deficit. The Democrats have offered to give him a vote on that proposal as a separate amendment to the extenders bill but he has refused, because he knows he will lose that vote. He wants his amendment to be included in the base bill that is passed by unanimous consent. The Democrats aren't going to let that happen for a variety of reasons, not the least of them being their objection to setting the precedent of raiding the stimulus funds to cover other costs.

So you end up with a stand-off in which Bunning is putting his adherence to the principle of "pay for" ahead of the people he acknowledges should receive extended benefits.

...but that's hard to explain to the newly homeless.

Bunning is letting his inner bastard hang all out there.

I'm sure as a rich Senator and hall of fame baseball player, Bunning's never had to worry about how the rent was going to get paid or how to buy groceries for hungry kids when you're out of work.

What a complete piece of shit...

certainly Dennis Kucinich and Barbra Boxer are very different from say Michelle Bachman or Saxby Chambliss. The problem is that not all of the Dems that Rahm recruited to help take back the House are actually Democrats. On the Senate side, there's the usual rich-boy/gal issues, such as Diane Fienstein (she'll never rock the boat, some of her money might fall overboard).

:eyes: