Awwwwwwww, Republicans.  Isn't it cute when they beg for mercy? 

House GOP: Don't Hurt Us -- Please
By Justin Rood - January 2, 2007, 11:48 AM

Republicans aren't yet an official minority in the House, but they're already beginning a campaign to portray themselves as victims of a heartless Democratic majority.

In a "Dear Colleague" letter circulated to fellow Republicans, three House GOPers are trying to push a "Minority Bill of Rights" -- based on a two-year-old proposal by then-Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). You can read the letter here.

"Unfortunately, as you are well aware, the Democrats' forty-year reign over the House was plagued by consistent, systematic efforts to usurp the rights and privileges of the Republican minority," write Reps. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Tom Price (R-GA).

They don't mention their party's own strongarm tactics -- which is striking, given that since 2002 Cantor himself was a member of the House GOP leadership, which was known for ruthlessly engineering legislative victories. "[R]eveling in the power they have, [Republicans] are using techniques to jam bills through even when they don't have to . . . simply because they can," is how congressional expert Norman Ornstein characterized the GOP's screw-the-minority tactics from 1994 to the present, according to a 2004 Washington Post article.

In other words, "Please protect us from the cutthroat culture we created in government!  Pleeeease!"

Bitchez.   Looks like we're going to have to call the waaaaaaaaaah-mbulance.  Get 'em some Crylenol.  But what's that you say?  The Minority Bill of Rights was originally proposed by Nancy Pelosi in 2004?  What exactly happened with that?


An ironic case in point: When Pelosi made her proposal to protect Democrats in 2004, GOP House Speaker Dennis Hastert (IL) refused to entertain the idea, let alone reply to her correspondence.

Oh.

From the June 24th, 2006 WaPo:


House Democrats' anger at heavy-handed Republican tactics reached a new level yesterday, with the chamber's top Democrat asking the House speaker to embrace a "Bill of Rights" for the minority, regardless which party it is.
In keeping with the general atmosphere of the House these days, aides to Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) said he will not respond to the two-page proposal from Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Fortunately for us all, it looks like the Democrats aren't going to get suckered into some touchy-feely "come back Tom DeLay, all is forgiven" bipartisan circle jerk where they all toast marshmallows and sing Kum Ba Yah around a campfire.

As they prepare to take control of Congress this week and face up to campaign pledges to restore bipartisanship and openness, Democrats are planning to largely sideline Republicans from the first burst of lawmaking.

Hell fuckin' yeah!  It's on. 

The Democrats must demonstrate that they can break legislative gridlock and govern after 12 years in the minority, while honoring their pledge to make the 110th Congress a civil era in which Democrats and Republicans work together to solve the nation's problems. Yet in attempting to pass laws key to their prospects for winning reelection and expanding their majority, the Democrats may have to resort to some of the same tough tactics Republicans used the past several years.

Break out the thumbscrews, baby!!  This is my kinda party!

House Republicans have begun to complain that Democrats are backing away from their promise to work cooperatively. They are working on their own strategy for the first 100 hours, and part of it is built on the idea that they might be able to break the Democrats' slender majority by wooing away some conservative Democrats.

Good luck with that you mealy-mouthed little ditch-rats.  As it says in the Book of Numbers, "Be sure your sins will find you out."  (32:23)

This is Karmageddon.  Praise Jesus.