Tuesday, April 13, 2010
GOP fails to celebrate their 50th
50th filibuster that is. And Dana Milbank, the WaPo's resident experst on all things "dick", examines the dickishness of the GOP.
Last year, the minority had a woeful win percentage, prevailing in filibusters only about 10 percent of the time. This was supposed to change with Brown's victory in a Massachusetts special election, which gave Republicans, on paper, their 41st vote, and with it the power to block anything and everything offered up by the Democrats.Overall, Dana the DC Dean of Dick is not impressed.
ad_icon
But this power proved to be a liability, as Republicans have shied away from using their new clout to bring down economic stimulus, unemployment benefits and financial reforms. Even before the twin defeats on unemployment insurance, Republican opposition crumbled on an economic stimulus package. Now Republican opposition to financial regulatory reform is breaking down; Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), a member of the banking committee, said his colleagues made "a strategic error" in not working with Democrats on the bill, which is likely to pass.
A month ago, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) made a lonely stand to block unemployment benefits, but his Republican colleagues fled in panic, and the extension of benefits passed, 78 to 19. Yet on Monday, Coburn, seemingly determined to test Albert Einstein's definition of insanity, reprised his colleague's failed performance. He led Republicans on yet another fight to block the jobless benefits unless lawmakers found budget cuts to pay the $9 billion cost.
Subscribe to Comments [Atom]
Post a Comment